Audience Views on Professional Norms of Journalism. A Media Repertoire Approach

Abstract

Despite several studies showing discrepancies between audience expectations of journalism and journalists’ professional norms, what remains largely unknown is the audience view on the adherence of journalism to these seemingly essential professional norms. Recent research mainly focused on analysing audience expectations within the context of specific cases. Moreover, these studies rarely take into consideration characteristics that might shape people’s views on journalism such as political ideology. This article seeks to complement these studies by exploring the impact that a user’s news consumption might have on their expectations of journalism. Utilizing data from an online survey among a representative sample of the Flemish audience, we analyse views on adherence to the main professional norms by the Flemish media, and subsequently relate these to news consumption. To grasp the cross- and multi-medial news consumer, we use a news repertoire approach. Flemish news repertoires differ significantly in views on several professional journalistic norms. By linking these distinct news repertoires to their views on professional norms of journalism, we first question how essential these professional norms put forward by journalists really are. Secondly, we discuss if expectations of journalism result in divergent news consumption strategies or vice versa, laying the groundwork for further exploring audience views on professional journalistic norms.

Dealing With Dissonance: The Appropriation of Temptation Island as a Dissonant Practice Within Media Repertoires

“…In previous studies, this diversity has been identified and described as the variety of devices and types of content that users engage in Dvir-Gvirsman (2020); Edgerly et al (2018); Kim (2016); Truyens and Picone (2021), or the combination of “highbrow” and “lowbrow” forms of content (Vandenplas and Picone 2021, 2023), for example in the form of quality and tabloid newspapers. While this fits within Hasebrink et al′s definition of diversity as an indicator of “the relations between the components of the repertoire” (Hasebrink and Domeyer 2012, 760), itself one of the central propositions of the repertoire approach (Hasebrink and Domeyer 2012, 759), I argue that these operationalizations have not yet managed to dig into the theoretical implications that the relationality of media repertoire components holds.…”

Is news for men?: Effects of women’s participation in news-making on audience perceptions and behaviors

“…The number of news avoiders—people “who consume relatively little news, spend almost no time watching cable TV news channels, and avoid news magazines and news websites entirely” (Truyens and Picone, 2021: 265)—has risen across the world (Newman et al, 2021). A large number tends to be women; and there are several reasons for this.…”

“…News also provides social contact that helps us build status and associations with others (Berelson, 2004). Women’s disengagement with news can also compound mistrust: News avoiders are more likely to distrust the media and perceive media organizations as corrupt (Truyens and Picone, 2021). When public trust in journalism erodes, democracy is threatened (Schudson, 2002).…”

What is ‘Good’ Climate Journalism? Public Perceptions of Climate Journalism in Denmark

“…The different views are often centred on the questions on normative media functions or what Gil de Zuniga and Hinsley (2013, p. 933) have referred to as 'good journalism traits'. Although formulations vary a little, these functions or traits, are remarkably alike from study to study and most often include the following: being objective/neutral, being a watchdog, being unbiased/neutral, being accurate, getting information to the public quickly, providing analysis of current affairs, being entertaining, being helpful to citizens in their everyday life, and so on (see, e.g., Gil de Zuniga & Hinsley, 2013;Tandoc & Duffey, 2016;Fawzi & Mothes, 2020;Riedel & Ebert, 2020;Truyens & Picone, 2021).…”

“…But what constitutes 'good' journalism in the first place? Recent studies have shown that most research on journalism quality or adherence to journalistic professional norms is based on journalism's production processes or texts rather than the public's perceptions of or expectations of how journalism function (Meijer & Kormelink, 2019;Truyens & Picone, 2021). Karlsson andClearwall (2019, p. 1184) have argued that citizens' opinions are remarkably absent in most studies on 'good' or 'better' journalism.…”