Media Systems in the Digital Age: An Empirical Comparison of 30 Countries

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edda Humprecht ◽  
Laia Castro Herrero ◽  
Sina Blassnig ◽  
Michael Brüggemann ◽  
Sven Engesser
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Online News ◽  
Empirical Comparison ◽  
Media Freedom ◽  
Media System ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Systems

Abstract Media systems have changed significantly as a result of the development of information technologies. However, typologies of media systems that incorporate aspects of digitalization are rare. This study fills this gap by identifying, operationalizing, and measuring indicators of media systems in the digital age. We build on previous work, extend it with new indicators that reflect changing conditions (such as online news use), and include media freedom indicators. We include 30 countries in our study and use cluster analysis to identify three clusters of media systems. Two of these clusters correspond to the media system models described by Hallin and Mancini, namely the democratic-corporatist and the polarized-pluralist model. However, the liberal model as described by Hallin and Mancini has vanished; instead, we find empirical evidence of a new cluster that we call “hybrid”: it is positioned in between the poles of the media-supportive democratic-corporatist and the polarized-pluralist clusters.

scholarly journals Medier og selvstændighed i Grønland

Politik ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Signe Ravn-Højgaard
Keyword(s):  
Nation Building ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
The Public ◽  
Media Regulation ◽  
Media System ◽  
The Media ◽  
Streaming Services ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Media Systems ◽  
Public Economy

This article discusses the potential impact of Greenlandic independence on Greenland’s media system and suggests initiatives necessary for maintaining strong Greenlandic media in the future. Using Manuel Puppis' (2009) theory of the characteristics of small media systems, the Greenlandic media system is described. It is shown that it is built with the following aim in mind: the media should support the Greenlandic society by being independent and diverse, strengthening the Greenlandic language, and providing quality journalism that can heighten the public debate. However, as a small media system it is vulnerable to global tendencies where legacy media lose users and advertisers to digital platforms like Facebook and streaming services. The article argues that the vulnerability of the Greenlandic media system could increase if independence leads to a tighter public economy, impeding the media's ability to support Greenlandic society and culture. An interventionist media regulation could, therefore, be a prerequisite for a strong Greenlandic media system that can act as a unifying and nation-building institution.

scholarly journals Red Economy, Blue Economy: How Media-Party Parallelism Affects the Partisan Economic Perception Gap

2020 ◽  
pp. 194016122092693
Author(s):  
Arjen van Dalen
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Selective Exposure ◽  
Media System ◽  
State Of The Economy ◽  
Country Characteristics ◽  
Perception Gap ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Systems ◽  
Economic Perceptions

Partisan identities do not only shape people’s political attitudes, but also their perceptions of real-world developments. This is evident from the partisan economic perception gap: Government supporters have more positive economic perceptions than opposition supporters, especially when the economic situation is ambiguous. Recent research has shown that the size of this partisan gap varies across different contexts and that the state of the economy and working of political institutions are important moderators. Still, little is known about the influence of another important contextual variable: the degree of partisanship in the media system. Based on a theoretical discussion of partisan-motivated rationalization and the information environment, the paper tests the hypothesis that, due to selective exposure and exposure to more partisan content, people in partisan media systems have more polarized economic perceptions. A multilevel analysis of representative surveys in twenty-six European countries in 2014 shows that the partisan perception gap is, indeed, larger in countries with more polarized media systems, after controlling for other relevant country characteristics. People with the highest level of media consumption are most affected by media-party parallelism. The findings are relevant for worldwide discussions about posttruth politics, as they show that the media environment influences gaps in people’s perceptions of real-world developments.

Mediatization of journalism: Influence of the media system and media organization on journalistic practices in European digital mediascapes

Journalism ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 1630-1654
Author(s):  
Zrinjka Peruško ◽  
Antonija Čuvalo ◽  
Dina Vozab
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Structural Framework ◽  
Media System ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Systems ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Structural Levels

Journalism is known to be culturally specific in historical terms, while cross-country studies have demonstrated differences in journalistic milieus in different political regimes. This article applies a multilevel, cross-national comparative research design to explore the patterns and sources of influence that act on the professional practices of European journalists as well as the ways they differ across different media systems. The research is more broadly framed within the mediatization approach, and it aims to explore the relationship between increased media logic and journalistic practices within specific digital mediascapes. This study also identifies the ways in which journalistic practices are influenced by both the macro level of the structural framework of the media system and the mezzo level of media organization. The institutional framework defines the digital media system/mediascape in terms of four dimensions: contemporary multimedia markets, globalization processes, cultural industry, and institutional inclusiveness. The data concerning the influences on journalism are drawn from surveys conducted in 28 Western, Central, and Eastern European countries as part of the 2012–2015 Worlds of Journalism Study. A cluster analysis produced four digital media systems. Furthermore, hierarchical multiple regression confirmed the predominant influence of structural levels on the perceptions of the influences on journalism – the mezzo organizational level and macro level of the digital media system additionally explained the variance of the contextual influences on journalistic practices beyond individual differences. Variations in the different influences are shown between media system clusters. Moreover, the study introduces new questions regarding the mediatization of journalism and the mediatized condition.

Factoring media use into media system theory—An examination of 14 European nations (2002–2010)

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 533-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xabier Meilán ◽  
H Denis Wu
Keyword(s):  
System Theory ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
North Central ◽  
Central European ◽  
Social Surveys ◽  
Media System ◽  
Use Pattern ◽  
Media Systems

This study incorporates media use pattern into examining three distinct media systems proposed by Hallin and Mancini. The uses of newspapers, radio, television, and Internet in European Social Surveys were included. North-Central European nations, particularly the Nordic countries, demonstrate more widespread media use than other European nations. Media-use Gini indexes support Hallin and Mancini’s original demarcation. Cluster analysis, however, indicates that the European nations of the three groups slightly differ from the original typology.

scholarly journals Newspaper apps for tablets and smartphones in different media systems: A comparative analysis

Journalism ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 1264-1282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Nozal Cantarero ◽  
Ana González-Neira ◽  
Elena Valentini
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Comparable Data ◽  
Mobile Media ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Media System ◽  
Digital News ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Systems

This article proposes a comparative analysis of the newspaper apps developed for tablets and smartphones within different media systems. It studies the multimediality, interactivity and commercialization models adopted by newspaper publishers and journalists for these apps. The theoretical framework embraces two main topics: the media system models, starting from Hallin and Mancini’s proposal, and the characteristics of the media systems, particularly in the countries selected for this sample, focusing on the digital and mobile media scenario. In order to collect comparable data from a common source, we have selected indicators from Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2016. The total number of app versions analysed came to 148 (81 for smartphones and 67 for tablets) from 20 newspapers in 10 different countries. One conclusion is that newspapers’ commitment to the tablet and smartphone, in general, tends to be conservative and far from independent of pre-existing print and web-based media. This article shows how media systems have become more complex in the digital scenario, in which apps are an important, but not exclusive, aspect. So, it is necessary to take into account trends in news globalization and ‘convergent journalism’. Finally, this research confirms that crossplatform management and multichannel strategies are still weak, which has consequences for the innovation of app editions.

scholarly journals Commercial instrumentalisation of media and autonomy of professional communicators in the media system of the Republic of Srpska

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (20) ◽  
pp. 57-79
Author(s):  
Anđela Kuprešanin-Vukelić
Keyword(s):  
Point Of View ◽  
External Information ◽  
Media Companies ◽  
Media System ◽  
Information Agents ◽  
Media Pluralism ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Professional ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Media Systems

Commercial instrumentalisation of the media presents one of inevitable dimensions with regard to studying contemporary media systems. Researching into the level of commercial instrumentalisation of the media within a certain media system implies researching into the nature of relationship, that is, interaction of the media, professional communicators, and certain external information agents, such as advertisers and owners of capital. Instrumentalisation of the media for commercial purposes determines, to a great extent, the professional stance of communicators and their autonomy while performing the task of satisfying public interests in relation to the exclusively material orientation of media production, which is reflected on the quality of media contents and media pluralism. The paper examines the intensity and nature of interaction between the media and advertisers in the media system in the Republic of Srpska and implications of this interaction with regard to the journalist profession and media practice, from the point of view of journalists, editors, and media managers. As for the working hypothesis of the paper, the author claims that there are various forms of commercial instrumentalisation of the media in the aforementioned system that jeopardise, either directly or indirectly, the autonomy of professional communicators and meeting the necessary professional standards. For these purposes, the gathering of empirical material is realised by means of a survey poll engaging 150 journalists and 65 editors employed with 27 respective media companies in the Republic of Srpska, as well as by means of interviewing 10 media managers. The paper aims at identifying the forms and intensity of commercial instrumentalisation of the media in the media system of the Republic of Srpska which, apart from being of significance for the autonomy and professionalism of the media and communicators, are major indicators of the nature of the media system on the whole and which primarily determine the course of its transformation.

scholarly journals Political parallelism in Iceland

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (s2) ◽  
pp. 53-69
Author(s):  
Birgir Guðmundsson
Keyword(s):  
Political Communication ◽  
Lower Degree ◽  
Social Democratic ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Media System ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Systems ◽  
High Degree ◽  
National Local

Abstract My main objective in this article is to examine the importance of political parallelism in Iceland through establishing the extent to which political parallelism is perceived to char-acterise political communication in Iceland by politicians and voters. Political parallelism is one of the defining elements of Hallin and Mancini's typology of media systems. Based on candidate surveys from five elections and a voter survey, indexes of perceived political parallelism are configured for politicians and voters. The analysis suggests a high degree of perceived political parallelism and that the perceptions are reflected in partisan ideological views of individual media outlets. The same – or at least similar – perceptions about political parallelism in the media system seem to penetrate the system irrespective of age and at the national, local, and individual level of politics. However, voters and candidates of social democratic and liberal internationally oriented parties perceive a significantly lower degree of parallelism than others.

scholarly journals Mediatized participation in European media systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-165
Author(s):  
Zrinjka Peruško ◽  
Dina Vozab
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Media System ◽  
Consumption Practices ◽  
The Media ◽  
Extensive Information ◽  
Media Systems ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Cross National

This article explores patterns of mediatized participation of European citizens and the way they differ across different media systems, in a multilevel, cross-national comparative research design. Mediatized participation is operationalized as audience practices on the Internet. The media system is conceptualized through the theoretical model of digital mediascapes, which applied to 22 European Union countries produced three clusters/media systems. The audience data are from representative online surveys in 8 eastern and western European countries N = 9532 collected by the authors and their research partners. Factor and cluster analyses were performed showing types and patterns of mediatized participation. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis and ANOVA were performed to relate the individual level variables to the macro-level clusters of digital media systems. The article shows audiences in the more mediatized, Western cluster are more engaged in participatory practices in comparison to audiences in the Eastern/Southern cluster of European countries which show more extensive information consumption practices.

scholarly journals The Mass Media Freedom in a State of Emergency: Infodemic vs. COVID-19 Pandemic

SEEU Review ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-59
Author(s):  
Aneta Stojanovska-Stefanova ◽  
Hristina Runcheva Tasev
Keyword(s):  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
Media Freedom ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
The Public ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Media System ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Times ◽  
Effective Public Health

AbstractInformation, as well as freedom of expression and freedom of the media are essential for democratic society and fundamental characteristic of modern states. The year 2020 will be remembered as a year of pandemic caused from Covid-19 (coronavirus) and a year of response to unexpected challenge that the spread of the virus caused. In the times of pandemic and any type of crisis, the media always plays a key role in informing the public all over the Globe. This paper aims to make theoretical descriptive research and analysis of the influence of coronavirus on news consumption, the role of media in communication and presentation of important developments during pandemic. The authors present an overview of the media system and the latest developments in the EU in preventing fake news related to the pandemic. We conclude that media plays key role in informing the citizens during pandemic and therefore they have increased responsibility in providing reliable information. At the same time, since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the media have been challenged with parallel outbreaks of disinformation and misinformation about the virus, ranging from fake coronavirus cures, false claims and harmful health advice to wild conspiracy theories. Disinformation can in turn speed up the spread of disease, hinder effective public health responses, as well as create confusion, fear and distrust. We highlight the fundamental function of creating awareness regarding the topic based on facts, and the need of media for preventing panic and fostering people's understanding by ‘checking the source and information twice’.

scholarly journals Functions of Hybrid Media: How Parties and Their Leaders Use Traditional Media in Their Social Media Campaign Communication

2022 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Paatelainen ◽  
Elisa Kannasto ◽  
Pekka Isotalus
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Media Campaign ◽  
Traditional Media ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Media System ◽  
The Media ◽  
Campaign Communication ◽  
Media Systems ◽  
Personalization Of Politics

Political campaign communication has become increasingly hybrid and the ability to create synergies between older and newer media is now a prerequisite for running a successful campaign. Nevertheless, beyond establishing that parties and individual politicians use social media to gain visibility in traditional media, not much is known about how political actors use the hybrid media system in their campaign communication. At the same time, the personalization of politics, shown to have increased in the media coverage of politics, has gained little attention in the context of today’s hybrid media environment. In this research we analyze one aspect of hybrid media campaign communication, political actors’ use of traditional media in their social media campaign communication. Through a quantitative content analysis of the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts of Finnish parties and their leaders published during the 2019 Finnish parliamentary elections, we find that much of this hybridized campaign communication was personalized. In addition, we show that parties and their leaders used traditional media for multiple purposes, the most common of which was gaining positive visibility, pointing to strategic considerations. The results have implications for both the scholarship on hybrid media systems and personalization of politics.

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