how are the news decisions made?
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Main characteristics, differences and explanatory potentials of the organizational and the psychological approaches.TRANSCRIPT
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:[email protected]@tu-ilmenau.de
Communicator Research
Institute of Media and Communication ScienceTechnische Universität Ilmenau