Author(s): Bu Zhong , John E. Newhagen
Year of publication: 2009
Keywords: News decision making, Transcultural journalism, Cognitive processing, Journalistic standards, Media effects, Cross-national comparison, Globalization, Cultural influences, Story selection, Cognitive psychology
Methodology/Sample: Experimental design/120 journalist
Reference: Zhong, B., & Newhagen, J. E. (2009). How journalists think while they write: A transcultural model of news decision making. Journal of Communication, 59(3), 587-608. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2009.01439.x
Abstract
This study explored how U.S. and Chinese journalists (N = 120) made news decisions in a transcultural context. It proposed a model of news decision making, drawing on 3 intellectual traditions—media effects, study, cognitive psychology, and decision making. To test the model, it employed a 2×2×3 factorial repeated-measures design, where the factors were nationality (United States or China), beat (overseas or domestic), and repeated measure (story topic). Results confirmed the model’s validity and showed that participants, regardless of nationality, used more effort in processing cognitive news elements and included them more in the stories than those at cultural or rational level. Surprisingly, the attention they gave to cognitive information was so counterintuitive that it might point to the possibility of an ever-increasing globalization in journalistic standards
> Summary
- The study models journalistic decision-making as a cognitive process, emphasizing the hierarchical structure of cognitive, cultural, and rational system levels in news production.
- It investigates how journalists assess news element utility, source trustworthiness, and source qualification while processing news elements.
- The research highlights that journalists follow established norms and rules, which guide their decision-making amidst various constraints.
- The findings suggest that cognitive news elements significantly influence news decisions, with cultural and ideological values also playing crucial roles in shaping the final news content.
> Problem statement
- The study explores how U.S. and Chinese journalists make news decisions in a transcultural context.
- It questions the cognitive processing of news elements by journalists.
- The paper addresses the difficulty in distinguishing dimensions of news decisions.
- It suggests that existing models may not fully capture the complexities of news decision making.
- The research indicates a need for a comprehensive model integrating cognitive and affective effects.
> Methods used
- The study employed a 2×2×3 factorial repeated-measures design to test news elements and related news decisions among journalists from the United States and China.
- The three factors included nationality (U.S. or China), beat (overseas or domestic), and topic of media stimuli, where participants wrote stories based on three disaster topics.
- Three versions of news packages were designed as media stimuli, each covering an earthquake, a health risk, or a nuclear power plant accident, ensuring consistency in format and content.
- Participants were debriefed that the events were fabricated to minimize pre-test effects.
> Practical implications
- The study suggests future research should explore news decision-making across different cultural contexts and operationalizations.
- It highlights the importance of cognitive and affective effects in journalists’ decision-making processes.
- The findings indicate a potential globalization of journalistic standards, impacting how news is reported.
- Journalists may need to adapt to new global standards for objective reporting, requiring more effort in their decision-making.
- The model proposed serves as a foundation for further exploration of distinct dimensions in news decision-making.