Abstract
The article presents the results of a study of the behaviours of journalists as hosts of current affairs programs during election campaign. The goal of the study was to determine whether the discourse created by journalists is informative and explicative, i.e. to what degree does it attempt to explain to viewers the importance of the European Parliament elections and the operation of EU institutions, present candidate positions, their competencies and proposals, and interpret important political and social phenomena that accompany elections. The study was conducted as a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the content and discourse of current affairs programs broadcast by nationwide television stations in Poland two weeks prior to the European Parliament elections in May 2014. The study determined that journalists who hosted the broadcasts under review failed in their role as guides to the complicated political realities of the Euro elections campaign. Journalistic practices described in the article push political discourse towards theatricality and carnival-like qualities, but fail to improve the voters’ level of knowledge of political processes and hence fail to engage them into shaping these processes.
Highlights
It has been long known that mass media are a very important source of information about the world around us – in its social, political, economical and cultural aspects (Luhmann, 2000, Castells, 2009)
The goal of the study was to determine whether the discourse created by journalists is informative and explicative, i.e. to what degree does it attempt to explain to viewers the importance of the European Parliament elections and the operation of EU institutions, present candidate positions, their competencies and proposals, and interpret important political and social phenomena that accompany elections
Mediatisation is treated as a process of social change (Schulz, 2004, Hjavard, 2008, Livingstone, 2009). whereas the mediatisation of politics as one of the most important determinants of contemporary social practice appears to be an important challenge to democracy (Mazzoleni & Schulz, 1999)
Summary
It has been long known that mass media are a very important source of information about the world around us – in its social, political, economical and cultural aspects (Luhmann, 2000, Castells, 2009). Whereas the mediatisation of politics as one of the most important determinants of contemporary social practice appears to be an important challenge to democracy (Mazzoleni & Schulz, 1999). In this context, the role of television seems to be crucial (Bourdieu, 1996). Television gains special importance during election campaigns, when citizens pay more attention to political content in the medium On one hand, they seek information about candidates and parties, and on the other, they are more frequently and clearly exposed to issues relating to the election. Whereas the former type of broadcast is a relatively popular object of content analysis among media researchers, the latter is less often subject to comprehensive, in-depth description of content and actors (despite the fact that important political interviews during election campaign contribute significantly to the agenda-setting function, see McNair, 1995, Scammell & Smetko, 2008)
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