Showing papers by "Mark Boukes published in 2017"
TL;DR: The authors introduced a multilevel framework model of softening of journalistic political communication, which showed that the four most prominent concepts of political communication can be distinguished in a hierarchical model. But despite the scholarly popularity of important developments of political communications, concepts like soft news or infotainment lack conceptual clarity.
Abstract: Despite the scholarly popularity of important developments of political communication, concepts like soft news or infotainment lack conceptual clarity. This article tackles that problem and introduces a multilevel framework model of softening of journalistic political communication, which shows that the 4 most prominent concepts—(a) sensationalism, (b) hard and soft news (HSN), (c) infotainment, and (d) tabloidization, and, additionally, (e) eroding of boundaries of journalism—can be distinguished in a hierarchical model. By softening, we understand a metaconcept representing developments in political journalism that are observed on different levels of investigation, from journalism as a system (macrolevel) down to single media items (microlevel).
71 citations
TL;DR: The rationales for linkage studies are reviewed, different types of linkage Studies are outlined, the state-of-the-art in this area is reviewed, which survey and content items to use in an analysis is discussed, various types of analyses are reviewed; considerations for alternative specifications are outlined.
Abstract: In media effects research a fundamental choice is often made between (field) experiments or observational studies that rely on survey data in combination with data about the information environment or media coverage. Such studies linking survey data and media content data are often dubbed “linkage studies.” On the one hand, such designs are the state of the art in our field and on the other hand, they come with a long list of challenges and choices. This article reviews the rationales for linkage studies, outlines different types of linkage studies, reviews the state-of-the-art in this area, discusses which survey and content items to use in an analysis, reviews different types of analyses, outlines considerations for alternative specifications, and provides a step-by-step example.
66 citations
TL;DR: Investigating the effects of news consumption on mental well-being provides insight into the impact news exposure has on variables other than the political ones, which definitively are not less societally relevant.
Abstract: . Following the news is generally understood to be crucial for democracy as it allows citizens to politically participate in an informed manner; yet, one may wonder about the unintended side effects it has for the mental well-being of citizens. With news focusing on the negative and worrisome events in the world, framing that evokes a sense of powerlessness, and lack of entertainment value, this study hypothesizes that news consumption decreases mental well-being via negative hedonic experiences; thereby, we differentiate between hard and soft news. Using a panel survey in combination with latent growth curve modeling (n = 2,767), we demonstrate that the consumption of hard news television programs has a negative effect on the development of mental well-being over time. Soft news consumption, by contrast, has a marginally positive impact on the trend in well-being. This can be explained by the differential topic focus, framing and style of soft news vis-a-vis hard news. Investigating the effects o...
55 citations
TL;DR: Analyzing tweets about two Dutch talk shows and four U.S. primary debates, it is demonstrated how examining online audience reactions can be employed as a sophisticated and valid way to assess the political relevance of TV programs.
Abstract: Addressing the call to move beyond a simple genre classification of TV shows as either substantive (hard) news or non-substantive (soft) infotainment, we propose using social media reactions to determine a program’s political relevance. Such an approach provides information that goes beyond genre or content characteristics and reflects what really reaches an audience. Analyzing tweets about two Dutch talk shows and four U.S. primary debates, we show that audience responses to television programs differ considerably regarding their political relevance. Thereby, we demonstrate how examining online audience reactions can be employed as a sophisticated and valid way to assess the political relevance of TV programs.
11 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined how the economic climate of the East African Community was covered in Chinese and Western news media between 2005 and 2015, and found that the Western media framed the East Africa Community more in terms of potential risks than the Chinese media.
Abstract: This study examines how the economic climate of the East African Community was covered in Chinese and Western news media between 2005 and 2015. Framing devices measuring risk, opportunity, morality and valence were detected and analysed in four news agencies. A content analysis showed that both the Chinese and Western news media featured opportunism more prominently than risk, and this positivity regarding the East African Community increased with time. However overall, the Western media framed the East African Community more in terms of potential risks than the Chinese media. The Western media featured the voice of African actors more often, and in doing so, the economy of the East African Community was framed somewhat less optimistically. Altogether, this study provides insight into the different ways that the Chinese and the Western news media framed the East African Community over the past decade.
5 citations