How do journalists seek information from sources? A systematic review

Abstract

In producing news stories, journalists depend on information obtained from sources. This paper reviews the literature on journalists’ information seeking. The 90 studies included in the review cover how journalists identify sources, interact with sources, interpret information, and manage sources. In addition to quality and accessibility, balance in the group of sources selected is an important criterion in journalists’ identification of sources. However, the importance journalists assign to balance stands in contrast to the frequent finding of bias in their source selections. In interactions with sources, the sources frequently provide ideas for new stories in addition to information for current ones. This finding shows how multiple instances of information seeking coexist and combine into a mesh of intersecting information-seeking processes. In interpreting information, journalists are acutely aware that sources may have an agenda or be misinformed. While journalists praise information checking, they regularly bypass it or replace direct checks for information quality with indirect checks, such as whether the source appears trustworthy. In managing sources, journalists engage in boundary work to regulate their relationship with sources. They also cultivate long-term relationships with selected sources. The review findings are discussed with respect to how journalism shapes journalists’ information seeking and what implications the findings have for information-behavior research in other domains.