Press Secretaries, Journalists, and Editors

Shaping Local Congressional News Coverage

Bibliographic Data

ID7971214
AuthorsSarah Allen Gershon (0000-0002-3283-3029, Georgia State University, corresponding author)
Year2012
Volume29
Issue2
Pages160-183
Publication date2012-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitical Communication (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1058-4609 • E-ISSN: 1091-7675
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10584609.2012.671230
OpenAlexW2087873833
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited32

The news media plays a key role in American democracy, often serving as the primary means by which voters learn about their elected representatives. However, the news media varies in its coverage of representatives, presenting voters with more frequent and favorable information about some House members than others, which may in turn influence voters' decisions at the polls. Although many scholars have examined the determinants of congressional news coverage, few have focused on the role of the actors who perhaps exert the most direct effect on such coverage: congressional press secretaries, journalists, and editors. In this study, I explore the influence of these actors on the tone and frequency of local congressional news coverage. I rely on data from two sources: (a) a content analysis of newspaper coverage of 100 representatives during the month prior to the 2006 election and (b) in-depth interviews with 51 congressional press secretaries and 22 journalists. These sets of data illustrate the important roles of both newspaper staff and congressional press secretaries in shaping the coverage House members receive. I conclude by discussing the implications of the findings for U.S. representatives and their constituents

Content analysis · Democracy · House of Representatives · Media coverage · Media studies · News media · Newspaper · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Tone (literature · Law · Media Influence and Politics · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub