Abstract
Drawing on a content analysis of television news and newspapers during the 2015 UK General Election along with semi-structured interviews with the heads and/or senior editors of news or politics from each broadcaster examined, we explore the intermedia agenda-setting influence of the national press during the campaign. Overall, we found similar policy-orientated agendas, with more stories emanating from right-wing newspapers and moments when front-page splashes dominated television news coverage. Many broadcasters were editorially comfortable with covering stories originating from newspapers if further context was supplied. Our findings do not point towards any deliberate political bias among broadcasters. We suggest instead that a range of structural constraints and professional routines encouraged broadcasters to feed off stories that were more likely to be supplied by right-leaning newspapers. Since news values are not politically neutral, we argue that if journalists or editors routinely rely on newspapers to help shape the political agenda it compromises their ability to make impartial judgements about news selection. Combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, we conclude, could help to better understand the editorial processes behind the selection of news and to more carefully interpret intermedia agenda-setting than large N studies can supply.
Highlights
The role and perceived power of newspapers in the twenty-first century can often appear contradictory
By comparing television news and newspaper coverage during the 2015 UK General Election campaign, the aim of this study is to explore empirically the intermedia agenda-setting role of the press
Drawing on a content analysis of television news and newspapers during the 2015 UK General Election along with semi-structured interviews with the heads and/or senior editors of news or politics from each broadcaster examined, we explore the intermedia agendasetting influence of the press during the campaign
Summary
The role and perceived power of newspapers in the twenty-first century can often appear contradictory. The imminent death of newspapers is usually viewed in light of figures showing an enhanced use of online news or greater engagement with new content and social media platforms, such as BuzzFeed and Twitter. From this perspective, the editorial reach and power of newspapers appears to be fast diminishing, as people have greater choice and freedom over what news they consume. Newspapers or print journalists remain a frequent reference point for rival news media, and a routine source for understanding how an event or issue is interpreted. Many broadcast news programmes, including heavyweight political shows, review the day’s papers but ask journalists
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