Disrupting gatekeeping practices: Journalists’ source selection in times of crisis

Abstract

As gatekeepers, journalists have the power to select the sources that get a voice in crisis coverage. The aim of this study is to find out how journalists select sources during a crisis. In a survey, journalists were asked how they assess the following sources during an organizational crisis: news agencies, an organization undergoing a crisis, and the general public. The sample consisted of 214 Dutch experienced journalists who at least once covered a crisis. Using structural equation modeling, sources’ likelihood of being included in the news was predicted using five source characteristics: credibility, knowledge, willingness, timeliness, and the relationship with the journalist. Findings indicated that during a crisis, news agencies are most likely to be included in the news, followed by the public, and finally the organization. The significance of the five source characteristics is dependent on source type. For example, to be used in the news, news agencies and organizations should be mainly evaluated as knowledgeable, whereas information from the public should be both credible and timely. In addition, organizations should not be seen as too willing or too eager to communicate. The findings imply that, during a crisis, journalists remain critical gatekeepers; however, they rely mainly on familiar sources.

Defining a Crisis: Boarding

“…For some media researchers and journalists, it is precisely the disorganization, chaos, and anomia that create the intersection of inside-the-media and outside-the-media crisis, and what lies at the core of "crisis." Crisessituations in which a major change, decision-making time constraints, limited information, and uncertainty are coupled with threats to core values at the personal, group, or state levels-fundamentally challenge journalists' practices (Ben-Yehuda et al 2013;Van Der Meer et al 2016). Thus, as Olga said, crisis is a "moment threatening a standard state in which the journalist works.…”

“…The very notion of the "dual state" is thus based on the fallacious assumption that journalists are, because of their professional authority (which is, in turn, based on the objectivistic illusion of truth), able to step out from the world-albeit only with one foot-and to look at events from above-even though only with one eye. Journalists' actorship resides in the potential political implications of their action (Ben-Yehuda et al 2013;Van Der Meer et al 2016), but also in their roles as witnesses and victims.…”

An Introduction to Crisis Reporting: Setting Out

“…He was also aware that "crisis reporting" had long ago become a classic field of both journalism and journalism research. Media scholars define the catchphrase "crisis" as a sudden, unpredictable, or challenging event that may pose a danger to society and create strong uncertainty, time pressure, and confusion that challenge journalistic practices and standards (Van Der Meer et al 2016;Vincze 2014), and contrast "crisis" with "normal times" (McDonald and Lawrence 2004).…”

“…Many-most often quantitative, and frequently normative-studies of crisis reporting deal with general framing, sourcing and gatekeeping strategies, or representation of actors in the crises (e.g. Ben-Yehuda et al 2013;Falkheimer and Olsson 2015;Van Der Meer et al 2016;Van Leuven et al 2013). Second, leaving aside the relatively few works on ethnographic, new, or literary journalism that focus directly on journalists' personal engagement, immersion, and related genres (e.g.…”

Journalistikkens attraksjon til makten:

“…Strömbäck & Nord, 2006); mediemangfold (Brown et al, 1987); framingperspektivet (Dimitrova & Strömbäck, 2012;Entman, 2007;Häggli, 2011); medielogikker (Aalberg, 2009;Enli, 2015); journalistisk kritikk (Eggen, Leira & Ziesler, 2015;Vatnøy, Iversen & Svennevig, 2016), og medialiseringsprosesser (Kepplinger, 2002). I tillegg er kildespørsmålet sentralt i organisasjonsstudier av nyhetsproduksjon og nyhetsrutiner (Dindler, 2015;Gans, 1979;Van der Meer, Verhoeven, Beentjes & Vliegenthart, 2017), og i studier av journalistikken som institusjon og profesjon (Cook, 1998;Revers, 2014;Soloski, 1989;Sparrow, 1999). Disse studiene finner konsekvent at mediene har en tendens til å foretrekke eliter, rutinekilder, offisielle stemmer og sittende kilder over opposisjonelle kilder eller «vanlige » borgere (Alexeev & Bennet, 1995;Baumgartner & Bonafont, 2015;Figenschou & Beyer, 2014;Schoenbach, Ridder & Lauf, 2001;Shehata 2010;Squire, 1988).…”