Journalism and Expertise

Abstract

Many researchers have observed the paradox of the decline in trust of experts alongside the increasing use of expertise in Western society. This research argues for the division of expertise into a defined category, ''expert-source'', separating experts from other sources who do not possess expertise. Using a normative concept of expertise to provide categories can offer a more coherent and consistent method of assessing a source's expertise and how to present their statements. This research presents findings based on a media analysis of television, radio and newspapers, interviews with journalists and sources and the results of national surveys and focus groups with parents and uses a recent medical controversy in the UK as a backdrop to explore expertise. In 1998 a scientist claimed there might be a link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and autism. His claims received significant media attention and vaccination rates fell across the UK. This case study examines how journalists constructed expertise, how key sources presented themselves as expert-sources and the effect of balancing expert-sources with sources. This research encourages journalists and academics to question how expertise affects media coverage.

Journalism as usual: The use of social media as a newsgathering tool in the coverage of the Iranian elections in 2009

“…This is not least through his 'choice of actor types and the frequency of citation' (Hermida, 2012a). His coverage on Twitter during key periods of the 2011 Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings -spanning upwards of 16 hours a day, seven days a week -featured hundreds of tweets per day, making him a 'one-man Twitter news bureau' (Farhi, 2011; see also Gans, 2004;Awad, 2006;Boyce, 2006;Messner and Distaso, 2008;Davis, 2009;Franklin and Carlson, 2011).…”

“…The earliest research into sourcing practices characterised the channels of information as informal, routine and enterprising (Sigal, 1973 Since then most research confirms routine sources to be the main way journalists source stories (Awad, 2006;Boyce, 2006;Davis, 2009;Gans, 2004;Messner and Distaso, 2008;Franklin and Carson, 2011). However, studies are beginning to capture the influence of non-elite sources (Hermida et al, 2012aPapacharissi 2011Poell and Borra, 2011Lasorsa et al, 2011 and the way sourcing practice is changing (Ahmad, 2010;Nardelli, 2011) …”

Pushy or a Princess?

“…However, beyond the use of experts in specific areas, such as science (Clayton, Hancock-Beaulieu, and Meadows 1993;Conrad 1999) or politics Jamieson and Waldman 2003), there has been less empirical exploration of how journalists assess source expertise more generally and go about choosing the players and pundits, in newsroom parlance, to appear in their reports (Boyce 2006).…”

Radio Sensors and Electric Storms: Scientific Metaphors in Media Talks

“…Though experts are sourced to confirm facts and add credibility to reports (Boyce, 2006), the role of journalists is to attract and maintain their audiences' attention and address their interests and needs (Reich, 2012). Accordingly, while experts are invited to talk as privileged information sources (Montgomery, 2008) they have been shown to adapt their responses to the communicative goals of hosting programs and the agendas set by their hosts (Patrona, 2005, Albaek, 2011.…”