Assessing the Co-Occurrence of Professional Roles in the News: A Comparative Study in Six Advanced Democracies

Authors

  • María Luisa Humanes University Rey Juan Carlos Department of Communication Sciences and Sociology Spain
  • Claudia Mellado Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaiso School of Journalism Chile
  • Cornelia Mothes Macromedia University of Applied Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
  • Henry Silke University of Limerick College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Ireland
  • Patric Raemy Université de Fribourg Department of Mass Media and Communication Research Switzerland
  • Nikos Panagiotou Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Journalism and Mass Media Studies Greece

Keywords:

Role performance, professional roles, journalistic cultures, news, media practices, newspapers, intermediate roles

Abstract

Based on a content analysis of 22 newspapers from the United States, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Greece (N = 10,512), this study addresses the overlapping nature of professional role performance in the news. The authors analyze the interaction and co-occurrence of the interventionist, watchdog, loyal-facilitator, service, civic, and infotainment roles. The results show three main types of role co-occurrence—interventionist-watchdog, watchdog-civic, and interventionist-infotainment—from which intermediate roles emerge. The findings also shed light on the influence of organizational structures, journalistic routines, and local contexts on the interaction of different roles in professional practice.

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Published

2021-07-29

Issue

Vol. 15 (2021)

Section

Articles

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