Reviewed by Tanjev Schultz
Measuring the quality of journalistic work is challenging. What counts as quality depends on fundamental notions regarding the role of journalism in society. That it is important for democracy may be obvious – but to what extent exactly? The task is further complicated by the variety of models in democratic theory that emphasize different aspects.
Fortunately, Andreas A. Riedl did not let this deter him. His dissertation, accepted at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in 2023, is a study well worth reading that has been honored with two awards. The book is theoretically original, methodologically rigorous, and empirically rich. It takes three models of democracy as its starting point: the representative, the deliberative, and the participatory models. From each of these, Riedl derives specific requirements for the quality of news coverage.
While the representative model emphasizes impartiality, the deliberative model focuses on a discursive quality of reporting, and the participatory model on an empowering one. Using content analysis, Riedl not only measures the extent to which the media meet these standards; his sample comprises newspaper articles and broadcast news from Austria. He also examines potential influencing factors that may explain the findings, distinguishing between »wanting,« »should,« and »being able« – such as perceptions of journalistic roles, legal and media-ethical norms, and editorial leeway in terms of autonomy and resources. The research design is carefully conceived and expertly implemented. In addition to the systematic content analysis, the author utilizes a quantitative and a qualitative survey of journalists.
The degree of variance explained is not particularly high, but many individual findings are nevertheless revealing: According to the study, journalism in Austria exhibits a high level of impartiality; the public broadcaster ORF, in particular, produces many news reports without value judgments. The political attitudes of media professionals are not a significant factor, whereas their role conceptions certainly are.
The deliberative model is less fully realized in Austrian journalism. In general, there is »a low level of discursivity« (p. 271). Thus, justifications rarely appear in reports. Discursive elements are most likely to be found in national newspapers such as Der Standard. A rather skeptical view of the audience is prevalent in newsrooms, which inhibits discursive reporting. »The more strongly journalists perceive the influence of audience expectations, the less discursive their reporting becomes« (p. 279). Many may underestimate their audience by assuming it is superficial.
For the participatory model, Riedl examined the proportion of constructive forms of emotional appeal (which he terms »activating«). Only 39 percent of the articles contained such emotional elements, and they were least prevalent in public broadcasting. Tabloid media contain more emotional content. However, in general, it is »subject to the primacy of an attention economy« (p. 314) and is used to increase reach. Accordingly, it can only partially fulfill the idealistic claims of participatory theory.
In conclusion, Riedl highlights the media policy relevance of the findings. In Austria, public broadcasting serves as the backbone of democracy in both its representative and deliberative forms. It is therefore essential to preserve and promote it.
The dissertation could inspire further comparative or topic-specific studies. However, Riedl’s book also has weaknesses. The delineation of democratic models and the derivation and operationalization of quality characteristics could be discussed at greater length. For instance, it is striking that the journalistic formats were categorized in a rather simplistic manner, and by speaking of »news quality,« Riedl hardly does justice to the significance of subjective as well as analysis- and opinion-oriented forms in journalism. When it comes to discursive qualities, in addition to traditional commentary journalism, debate columns and magazine journalism – with their mix of information, analysis, and opinions – play an important role. In this regard, the book lacks nuance, however insightful it may be overall.
About the Reviewer
Tanjev Schultz is a professor of journalism at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. He is one of the editors of Journalistik/Journalism Research.
About this book
Andreas A. Riedl (2024): Nachrichtenqualität als journalistischer Prozess. Demokratietheoretisch fundierte Performanz zwischen Wollen, Sollen und Können. [News quality as a journalistic process. Democratically grounded performance between willingness, obligation, and ability]. Cologne: Herbert von Halem Verlag, 464 pages, 42 euros