Reconsidering Informed and Participatory Citizenship in the Current Media Ecosystem

The focus of this chapter is on how changes in the media landscape have forced the reconsideration of the way in which ‘memory’, ‘knowledge’, and ‘informed citizenship’ are understood, defined, and researched. Thus, for example, journalism needs to take account of the phenomenon of so-called news grazing (the active consumption of news by flipping through channels and skipping unwanted material) and that of incidental news exposure (unintended exposure to news when media users go online for non-news functions). Traditional views of informed citizenship (as simply acquiring appropriate facts and information) are challenged by calls to include applied understanding and comprehension of social issues and emotional responses to those issues. The chapter is critical of an excessive reliance on verbal tests of memory and stresses the need to develop visual measures, given that the human brain is better adapted for visual than verbal processing.

Visual Communication Through Body Movement

Nonverbal behaviour plays an important role in journalism because of its heavy reliance on visual forms of communication. In the first section of this chapter, academic research on nonverbal behaviour is discussed in terms of the following topics: the communication of emotion and interpersonal relationships, the synchronization of nonverbal behaviour and speech, deception detection, and communications skills training. The second section focusses on the use of visuals and nonverbal behaviour in two specific journalistic contexts: print journalism and the television news. Illustrative examples are discussed, based on the impact of photographs of the Vietnam War and the dead Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi; celebrity photographs are also considered. There follows an analysis of the television news, focussed primarily on recent changes in audiovisual editing techniques, and this is illustrated by a case study—an analysis of audiovisual news coverage of the British parliamentary expenses scandal of 2009.

The Importance of Visual Attention and Perception in Journalism

In this chapter, psychological theories of visual perception and attention are considered in relation to journalism. First, the chapter discusses so-called limited capacity processing—that is, humans are limited in the amount of information they can process at any one time. Next, journalists’ use of visual images is discussed. Although a picture ‘may be worth a thousand words’ (or more), journalists also need to take account of so-called ‘wishful seeing’—that people may see only what they want to see. The chapter then considers the phenomenon of ‘priming’ in relation to the way in which a story is framed, which may trigger particular concepts or stereotypes (positive or negative). Finally, the chapter considers emotional processing within journalism—how an individual’s emotional state may impact on their perceptions of a story, and how journalists may utilize emotion to influence audience engagement and comprehension.

Language and Categorization

This chapter is focussed on linguistic bias in intergroup relations. It is based on the linguistic intergroup bias model, according to which people use different words for describing people and their behaviour on the basis of group membership. In particular, they attribute positive behaviours of ingroup members and negative behaviours of outgroup members to stable enduring characteristics, while attributing negative behaviours of ingroup members and positive behaviours of outgroup members to transitory characteristics dependent on situation or context. This kind of linguistic bias may occur not only in informal communication but also in the mass media, where it can reinforce positive or negative social stereotypes without viewers or readers necessarily being aware how this process is taking place. The chapter concludes that recognizing and limiting the use of such biased language is an important component in producing quality journalism.

Norms and Roles

This chapter presents an overview of literature on the function of social norms and roles in shaping emotions and beliefs, with particular attention to journalistic professional practice. Through the concepts of accountability, transparency, truth, and social responsibility, journalism is presented as a norm-driven socially constructed profession. For example, journalists’ intrinsic personal norms are shown to be stronger in predicting their behaviour compared with extrinsic influences, such as regulatory laws or organizational policies. This chapter also focusses on journalists’ changing concepts of their own occupational role. A case study is presented on the acceptance and use of digital technologies in journalism in Nigeria, which is discussed as a double-edged sword. Although broadcast journalists may be significantly empowered by the use of such technologies, there is also a perceived dumbing down effect on journalistic practice, such that certain normative roles (e.g., sourcing information and expertise) may be jeopardized and professional ethics violated.

Discursive Psychology and Journalism

Discursive psychology is focussed on the microanalysis of the language—how specific words and practices can perform specific actions and how alternate ways of describing the situation are omitted. In this chapter, a review is presented of discursive psychology and its application to media research. This is followed by an illustrative case study based on newspaper headlines relating to Brexit, the process of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union following the referendum on UK membership in June 2016. Finally, the chapter proposes that discursive analyses can not only help readers explore how particular events, people, and texts are constructed in the news but also help journalists understand how readers might interpret their words and what inferences may be drawn from this.

Ideology and Culture

In this chapter, cross-cultural psychology is discussed in relation to the influence of ideology and culture on journalism. As a case study, a cross-cultural analysis of media systems is reported. One major finding is that in countries in which media have a strong public service mandate and public broadcasting systems, there is a better quality of news provision and a higher level of informed and engaged citizenry. Particular attention is given to the research of Hofstede, who has identified six major dimensions for cross-cultural analysis, and that of Schwartz (1992), who has identified value dimensions with universal meaning (e.g., security, happiness, and benevolence). Social identity theory is also considered, illustrated by the way in which the media may create and foster an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality. In conclusion, the chapter affirms that there is no one nation which holds the gold standard for journalism and can be used as a reference point for all others.

Social Psychology of Identity and Stereotyping in the Media

This chapter is focussed on how the media may influence societal attitudes and behaviours, particularly in their coverage of refugees and asylum seekers. Traditional social psychological approaches to concepts of identity, categorization, and prejudice are discussed, followed by a review of relevant current models, such as intergroup emotion theory, integrated threat theory, and the so-called BIAS map (Behaviours from Intergroup Affect and Stereotypes). It is proposed that refugees might receive greater warmth and increased perceptions of competence if they were reframed in the news not as stealing jobs but, rather, as future citizens, supporting their new countries of residence by doing necessary work and by creating new employment avenues. The chapter concludes with a proposal for five evidence-based strategies both for audiences to be more overtly aware of misleading media bias (e.g., the creation of ‘us versus them’ identity narratives) and for developing a more responsible journalism.

Journalism in the 21st Century

This chapter presents a snapshot of the main characteristics of 21st-century journalism, examining changes in its organization, practice, and performance. It also contributes to the book’s main themes by outlining links between structural changes in the news industries and shifts in journalists’ activities, attitudes, and self-perceptions. Of particular concern is the impact of the internet and more generally of digitalization. This is considered in relation to traditional print media, television, radio and also with regard to journalists’ practices, which have undergone dramatic, rapid change and disruption. The chapter then focusses on journalistic content, where according to some critics, traditional journalistic standards have been weakened by the growing ascendancy of entertainment values and by the financial need for advertising revenue. Finally, the chapter discusses identity and how journalists’ traditional concepts of self-identity have responded to the pressures described previously.

Introduction

In contemporary Western societies, journalism often comes under fire. This is due in part to the increased economic threat posed to the profession by a steady decline in the consumption of news but also to increasing scepticism in the value of news and the media in general. This introductory chapter summarizes the theoretical approaches taken in this book, highlighting the unique contributions that a media psychological approach can make to our understanding of news-making and the construction of meaning. The chapter presents an overview of how psychology can contribute to our understanding of news, and it describes in relation to journalism uniquely media psychological constructs (parasocial interactions and the third-person effect). The chapter concludes with a chapter-by-chapter summary of the rest of the book.