1st Edition

Journalists, Sources, and Credibility New Perspectives

Edited By Bob Franklin, Matt Carlson Copyright 2011
    216 Pages
    by Routledge

    228 Pages
    by Routledge

    This volume revisits what we know about the relationship between journalists and their sources. By asking new questions, employing novel methodologies, and confronting sweeping changes to journalism and media, the contributors reinvigorate the conversation about who gets to speak through the news. It challenges established thinking about how journalists use sources, how sources influence journalists, and how these patterns relate to the power to represent the world to news audiences.

    Useful to both newcomers and scholars familiar with the topic, the chapters bring together leading journalism scholars from across the globe. Through a variety of methods, including surveys, interviews, content analysis, case studies and newsroom observations, the chapters shed light on attitudes and practices in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Belgium and Israel.

    Special attention is paid to the changing context of newswork. Shrinking newsgathering resources coupled with a growth in public relations activities have altered the source-journalist dynamic in recent years. At the same time, the rise of networked digital technologies has altered the barriers between journalists and news consumers, leading to unique forms of news with different approaches to sourcing. As the media world continues to change, this volume offers a timely reevaluation of news sources.

    Introduction. Matt Carlson and Bob Franklin Part I: Credibility, Transparency and Diversity 1. Source Credibility as a Journalistic Work Tool. Zvi Reich 2. Wither Anonymity? Journalism and Unnamed Sources in a Changing Media Environment. Matt Carlson 3. Journalists as ‘Unwilling’ Sources: Transparency and the New Ethics of Journalism. Angela Phillips 4. Activist Media as Mainstream Model: What Can Professional Journalists Learn From Indymedia? Chris Atton Part II: Entrenched Practices, Entrenched Sources 5. Rules, Recycling, Filters and Conspiracies: Nick Davies and the Propaganda Model. Julian Petley 6. Sources, Credibility and the Continuing Crisis of UK Journalism. Bob Franklin 7. Sourcing Business News: A Case Study of Public Relations Uptake. Tom Van Hout 8. Sources of Arts Journalism: Who’s Writing the Arts Pages? Lucinda Strahan Part III: Citizens and Sourcing: Finding a Way Forward 9. Are Citizens Becoming Sources? A Look into Flemish Journalists’ Professional Contacts. Jeroen De Keyser, Karin Raeymaeckers and Steve Paulussen 10. The Limits of Audience Participation: UGC @ the BBC. Andrew Williams, Claire Wardle and Karin Wahl Jorgensen 11. The Scope of User Generated Content: User Contributions within Online Journalism. Annika Bergstrom 12. Citizen Journalism and Everyday Life: A Case Study of Germany'sMyheimat.De. Axel Bruns

    Biography

    Bob Franklin holds the Chair in Journalism Studies at the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Wales. He is founder and editor of the international peer reviewed journals, Journalism Studies and Journalism Practice.

    Matt Carlson is Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, Saint Louis University.