Showing papers by "Thomas Hanitzsch published in 2006"

American and german online journalists at the beginning of the 21st century

Abstract: This paper presents the key findings of the first comparative survey of online journalists in the United States and Germany. It is based on a sub-sample of the latest American journalist study and the study “Online Journalists in Germany.” The article develops the objectives of the studies and explicates the methodology, and it presents key findings on basic characteristics of online journalists, jobs and tasks in online journalism, and the professional views and attitudes of Web journalists in the United States and Germany. The comparisons show some striking differences between American and German online journalists. Their basic characteristics, levels of professionalization and role perceptions are more different than expected.

Mapping Journalism Culture: A Theoretical Taxonomy and Case Studies from Indonesia

Abstract: Given the persistent variation in the ways journalism works across cultural boundaries, researchers are often quick to speak of ‘journalistic’ or ‘ professional cultures’ without conceptual clarity. Consequently, ‘journalism culture’ has become an increasingly vague concept, inviting misunderstanding and theoretical ambiguity. This paper, therefore, introduces a taxonomy of journalism cultures, consisting of the territorial, essentialist, value-centered, milieu-specific, organizational and professional journalism cultures. Empirical evidence is provided for three of these cultures, drawing on data from a survey of 385 professional journalists in Indonesia. The results suggest that if culture has some kind of severe impact on journalism, it is not likely to appear on the level of the individual (micro) and organization (meso), but rather on the societal level (macro).

Journalism Research in Germany: Origins, theoretical innovations and future outlook

Abstract: In Germany, the study of journalism has a long tradition. Loff elholz (2004b) identifi ed the work of the writer and literary historian Robert Eduard Prutz (1816-1872) as being the ancestor of journalism theory. In 1845, long before the establishment of newspaper studies (“Zeitungskunde”) as a fi eld of research, Prutz published “The History of German Journalism.” In later years the theoretical study of journalism was dominated by normative approaches, which continued for many decades. The belief that journalistic talent, similar to artistic talent, lies in the personality of the journalist (see Dovifat 1962) endured well into the 1970’s. At this time the scholarly discussion was mainly centered on the journalist as an individual who could barley live up to the normative expectations placed on news people. The result was a long-lasting (into the 1990s) array of often romantic demands on journalists which they could hardly fulfi ll.