how are the news decisions made?

How are tHe news decisions made?Main characteristics, differences and explanatory potentials of the organizational and the psychological approaches

Yulia AnPablo Correa

present

Communicator Research Prof. Andreas Schwarz

WS 2013/1405.02.2014

The journalist’s work and behavior in every newsroom are influenced by his personal beliefs, opinions and attitudes, role perception and organizational patterns.

Organizational approach

Psychological approach

3 levels

3 vertices

Social-psychological concept

Cognitive-psychological concept

The journalist’s work and behavior in every newsroom are influenced by his personal beliefs, opinions and attitudes, role perception and organizational patterns.

Organizational approach}Psychological approach

3 levels

3 vertices

Social-psychological concept

Cognitive-psychological concept

The journalist’s work and behavior in every newsroom are influenced by his personal beliefs, opinions and attitudes, role perception and organizational patterns.

Organizational approach

} Psychological approach

3 levels

3 vertices

Social-psychological concept

Cognitive-psychological concept

Organizational approach to journalism

Internal structureWork routinesWork flow } Predetermined

3 levels of organizational approach

}Journalist Newsroom

1.

🔗

3 levels of organizational approach

}News organization Other organizations

2.

🔗

3 levels of organizational approach

}News organization Society

3.

🔗

structures in the newsroom } organization content

structuresmanagement

vertex one: organization } prior function is

to coordinate and motivate the work and the tasks of its members.

vertex two: structure } distribution of roles

division of departments work routines

vertex three: management } influence on

what journalists reportswhat editor writeswhat to publish

Structuresinterplay of rules and resources

Structurization TheoryGiddens (1984)

}

proceedings and methodologies

– Turner, J.H. (1986)

Structurization Theory

Rules }

material equipment and organizational capacities

– Turner, J.H. (1986)

Structurization Theory

Resources }

findings } structural changescross-departmental teamsflattened hierarchiescomputerizationnew competition

findings } Gade (2004): organizational change Altmeppen, et al.(1998): skills and knowledgeEsser (1998): organizational patternsWu and Chen (2005): organizational charts

Psychological approach to journalism

Severe time constraintsPressure of competitionLack of objective criteriaRisk of public failure

} News decisions

1: socio-psychological concept of social validation of judgments through social interaction

2: cognitive-psychological concept of stabilizing existing attitudes and cognitions

...an opinion, a belief or an attitude is ‘correct’, ‘valid’ and ‘proper’ only to the extent to which it is anchored in a group of people with similar beliefs, opinions and attitudes.

– Donsbach, W. (2004)

Social Comparison

TheoryFestinger, L. (1954)

1: socio-psychological

“

...shared reality is the product of the motivated process of experiencing a commonality of inner states about the world.

– Echterhoff, G., Higgins, E. T. & Levine, J. M. (2009)

Shared Reality Theory

Hardin, C.D. & Higgins, E.D. (1996)

1: socio-psychological

“

Perception is a process of gaining information from the environment as well as from the cognitive and physical system.

– Donsbach, W. (2004)

Psychology of Perceptions

2: cognitive-psychological

“

Psychology of Perceptions

Degree of Selectivity

2: cognitive-psychological

i. Selective attention}

Psychology of Perceptions

Degree of Selectivity

2: cognitive-psychological

ii. Selective perceptionHypothesis theorySchema theory}

Psychology of Perceptions

Degree of Selectivity

2: cognitive-psychological

iii. Selective retention}

Dissonance avoid situations and informationseek consonant information

Psychology of Perceptions

Theories of Consistency

2: cognitive-psychological

}

Events which support the position of either one of the protagonists in a conflict are called instrumental. The publication of information on these events is called instrumental actualization.

– Kepplinger, H.M., Brosius, H., & Staab, J.F. (1991)

Theory of Instrumental Actualization

Kepplinger, H.M. (1991)

2: cognitive-psychological

“

2: cognitive-psychological

Kepplinger, Brosius, & Staab (1991)

editorialsagainst trade unions – for employers

editorialsfor trade unions – against employers

news stories

against trade unions – for employers

news stories

for trade unions – against employers

Organizational or psychological approach?

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Donsbach, W. (2004). Psychology of news decisions: Factors behind journalists’ professional behavior. Journalism, 5(2), 131-157.

Echterhoff, G., Higgins, E. T. & Levine, J. M. (2009). Shared reality: Experiencing commonality with others’ inner states about the world. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(5), 496-521.

Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7, 117-140.

Hardin, C.D., & Higgins, E.T. (1996). Shared reality: How social verification makes the subjective objective. In R.M. Sorrentino & E.T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of motivation and cognition: The interpersonal context, 3, 28–84. New York: Guilford.

Kepplinger, H.M., Brosius, H. & Staab, J.F. (1991). Instrumental actualization: A theory of mediated conflicts. European Journal of Communication, 6, 263-290.

Turner, J.H. (1986). The Theory of structuration. American Journal of Sociology, 4, 969-977.

Illustrations used in presentation:

www.wtek79.deviantart.comwww.el-karamelo.deviantart.comwww.ainitolonen.deviantart.com

References

Questions and Commentscontact details:yulia.an@tu-ilmenau.depablo.correa-gonzalez@tu-ilmenau.de

Communicator Research

Institute of Media and Communication ScienceTechnische Universität Ilmenau