Disdaining the News

A phenomenon is tainted, first, to the degree that news workers perceive it as deviating from or conflicting with those considerations or decision-making rules which govern story availability and suitability choices. Second, a phenomenon is tainted to the extent that news workers believe that other journalists and audiences share their perception of deviance or conflict. By and large, disdaining the news is a conservative behaviour which, while distancing the journalist from his/her role, reinforces the existing rules for news work. Disdaining the news is similar to objectivity as a strategic ritual in that both behaviours are fundamentally defensive, seeking to organize and routinize work in a way which minimizes risks and maximizes individual and organizational autonomy. News workers are expected to be tough, aggressive, sceptical, competitive, and to do their work with a full awareness of journalistic considerations. Thus, pressured to create news about tainted phenomena, the journalist faces a serious problem in role performance.

Computer Science · Media Influence and Health · Media Influence and Politics · Media Studies and Communication