Rally and Recalibrate
Political Dynamics of Audience Expectations of Journalism During Times of Crisis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12977337 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Claire Roney (University of Vienna, corresponding author), Daniel Wiesner (0009-0000-0018-3562, University of Vienna), Andreas Riedl (0000-0003-3522-9094, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München), Jakob-Moritz Eberl (0000-0002-5613-760X, University of Vienna) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The International Journal of Press/Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1940-1612 • E-ISSN: 1040-1620 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/19401612251375203 |
| OpenAlex | W4414806939 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 71 |
This study examines how the evolving conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic shaped audience expectations of journalism in Austria. Traditionally defined by roles such as Informer and Watchdog , journalists adapted to new roles during the crisis, including Collaborator with health officials, Science Communicator , and Fact-Checker . Drawing on data from three waves of the Austrian Corona Panel Project with approximately 1,500 participants per wave, we analyze audience expectations of nine journalistic roles. Our findings show strong support for emerging roles like the Fact Checker and Science Communicator , highlighting the demand for accurate information and scientific clarity. However, audience expectations fluctuated significantly over time, reflecting shifts in public trust and the diminishing rally-around-the-flag effect. These results underscore the volatility and context-dependency of audience demands during crises, emphasizing the need for journalism to remain adaptable in rapidly changing environments
Audience measurement · Audience participation · Audience response · Dynamics (music · Journalism · Politics · Public opinion · Target audience · Media Influence and Politics · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics
Comparing Media Systems
From populism to the “plandemic”
Rallying around the flag in times of Covid-19
Civic and Citizen Demands of News Media and Journalists
Hard and soft news
News media coverage of Covid-19 public health and policy information
Epistemology of Fact Checking
The Coronavirus Pandemic as a Critical Moment for Digital Journalism
Why Media Systems Matter
Does a Crisis Change News Habits? A Comparative Study of the Effects of Covid-19 on News Media Use in 17 European Countries
Great expectations? A taxonomy for expectancy research in journalism studies
Beliefs About Covid-19 in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States
Media Trust and the Covid-19 Pandemic
Perceptions of Media Performance
German Media and Coronavirus
Science-related populism declining during the Covid-19 pandemic
Hallin and Mancini Revisited
Audiences as a discursive institution
The American Journalist in the Digital Age
“There Must be Room for Critical Questions, but … ”
Online health information – what the newspapers tell their readers
Not a Bioweapon, or is it? The Role of Perceived Threats and Media Use in Covid-19 Misperceptions
Untrustworthy News and the Media as “Enemy of the People?” How a Populist Worldview Shapes Recipients’ Attitudes toward the Media
Patterns of Journalistic Role Performance during Public Health Crises
Seeing Eye to Eye
The Context-Dependent Demand for Watchdog Journalism
The Austrian Corona Panel Project
Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2015
I Do Not (Want To) Know! The Relationship Between Intentional News Avoidance and Low News Consumption
Give Me a Break!” Prevalence and Predictors of Intentional News Avoidance During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Boundaries Not Drawn
Journalistic Role Performance in Times of Covid
"I think it's up to the media to raise awareness." Quality expectations of media coverage on climate change from the audience’s perspective
A State of Emergency or Business as Usual in Climate Science Communication? A Three-Dimensional Perspective on the Role Perceptions of Climate Scientists, Climate Journalists, and Citizens
Glorified Minute Takers”
A global panel database of pandemic policies (Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker)
Journalistic Roles and the Struggle Over Institutional Identity
Professional Roles in News Content
Exploring News Innovations, Journalistic Routines, and Role Perceptions during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Window, Watchdog, Inspector
The American Journalist in the Digital Age
Metajournalistic Discourse and the Meanings of Journalism
Audiences and Journalistic Capital
What Journalists Want and What They Ought to Do (In)Congruences Between Journalists’ Role Conceptions and Audiences’ Expectations
The American Journalist Under Attack
What the Public Expects of Local News
The science journalist online
In their own words
When citizens meet both professional and citizen journalists
Audience expectations of journalism
What is good journalism? comparing Israeli public and journalists' perspectives
Worlds of Journalism
Rally round the flag
A Research Agenda for an Institutional Media
Political trust during the Covid‐19 pandemic
The effect of Covid‐19 lockdowns on political support
Deconstructing Journalism Culture
Political communication in a high-choice media environment
Journalism beyond democracy
Journalists on Covid-19 Journalism
Four models of the public sphere in modern democracies
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |