Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly

Fawzi, Nayla; Hüter, Carolin Elisabeth; Stegmann, Daniel; Jakob, Alina; Keilmann, Juliane

doi: 10.1177/10776990251407085pmid: N/A

In times of democratic backsliding, expectations of a pro-democratic media role are intensifying. This study examines expectations and evaluations of pro-democracy journalism among German citizens, journalists, and politicians. Findings show strong public and political support for a more active pro-democracy stance, which is also part of journalists’ role conception, but perceived media performance falls short in practice. Right-wing and anti-democratic public and political actors oppose such a role, raising concerns over increasing delegitimization of news media. The study highlights a gap between normative ideals and perceived performance, urging stronger journalistic engagement to defend democracy and its values.

Danso, Samuel; Nyarko, Jacob

doi: 10.1177/10776990251407078pmid: N/A

This study used interview and focus group discussion data to explore why journalists in Ghana feel reluctant to pursue investigative journalism. The study highlights the precarious nature of investigative journalism in Ghana, exposing safety and security concerns faced by journalists. The effects of increasing attacks on journalist’s practices and behavior include constant fear, anxiety, psychological stress, post-traumatic stress, and financial concerns. These challenges force many journalists to self-censor by avoiding investigative reporting altogether. The study advocates for the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act, robust legal protections, training, and insurance coverage for investigative journalists.

Moon, Young Eun; Hays, Cody; Xu, Zhan; Roschke, Kristy; Kwon, K. Hazel

doi: 10.1177/10776990261416899pmid: N/A

This study explores strategies geo-ethnic journalists use to build trust within ethnic minority communities, addressing two gaps in existing literature. First, while much research discusses ethnic media functions, it often remains separate from journalism scholarship on local news and trust. Second, previous research on media trust has largely focused on audience perspective, leaving journalists’ perspectives underexplored. By bridging these areas, this study situates geo-ethnic journalism as an essential yet understudied part of the American media landscape. Through interviews with 38 journalists, we identify three principles: reporting from within, narrative stewardship, and reporting with cultural consciousness. These principles foster reporting practices that reinforce geo-ethnic media’s role in local communities and offer a new model for nurturing media trust among underrepresented U.S. audiences. Based on these principles, this study proposes the concept of relatable journalism where mutual recognition of belonging between journalists and audiences serves as a central element of trust-building.

Berti, Carlo; Moragas-Fernández, Carlota M.; Capdevila, Arantxa

doi: 10.1177/10776990261429070pmid: N/A

Populism, especially that of the far right, has a major impact on journalism. Journalists have to respond to an increasingly hostile environment with dwindling resources and often precarious conditions. By using semistructured interviews with journalists who cover the populist far right in Italy and Spain, we investigate how they understand populism and its impact on their profession. Interviewees have a clear idea of what populism is, but feel that this concept is often used in a vague and politicized manner. Far-right populism’s hostility toward journalism has also generated professional problems such as difficult access to politicians, safety concerns, and violence.

Long, Kun

doi: 10.1177/10776990261441310pmid: N/A

Blaß, Julia Sophie

doi: 10.1177/10776990251410602pmid: N/A

Data, numeric or visual, can contain misinformation and contribute to the spread of false information. Yet the role of data has received little attention in misinformation research. This scoping review analyzes 41 studies across various disciplines and synthesizes how data are processed within a dual-process framework to map research on data and misinformation. The review identifies an overall lack of research in this area and highlights the need to consider multimodal data formats, as numerical and visual misinformation have largely been addressed separately. The study identifies research gaps and opportunities for future research, as well as implications for data communication praxis.

Saha, Ali

doi: 10.1177/10776990261451642pmid: N/A

Fielding, Victoria; Hart, Matt

doi: 10.1177/10776990261433885pmid: N/A

Sport reporters strive for objectivity to legitimize their work, yet acknowledge their subjectivity in creating entertaining narratives. This objectivity–subjectivity tension has importance consequences for sports journalism, and in turn sporting organizations’ cultural and commercial success. This study examines Australian Rules Football reporting about home-team rivals Adelaide and Port Adelaide by South Australia’s only major newspaper, The Advertiser. We identify bias toward Adelaide across three levels of analysis and argue this bias is caused by commercial and ideological subjectivity. These findings are discussed in relation to the broader implications of structural bias in journalism and its political, economic, and societal consequences.

Bekken, Jon

doi: 10.1177/10776990261436066pmid: N/A

Lee, Hyunmin; Park, Hana

doi: 10.1177/10776990251410593pmid: N/A

This article examined how elite news media frame the impact of generative AI on the cultural, social, economic, and political domains of life. We also analyzed the different types of ethical concerns surrounding generative AI and to whom the media attribute responsibility for creating and solving these ethical concerns. A content analysis of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal show that societal and economic impacts were the most frequently discussed when reporting about generative AI, while societal-level attributions were mentioned more often than individual-level attributions for responsibilities. We discuss theoretical implications and future research directions.