A matter of life and death?: Examining how newspapers covered the newspaper "crisis"

Hsiang Iris Chyi; Seth C. Lewis; Nan Zheng

doi:10.1080/1461670X.2011.629090

A matter of life and death? Examining how newspapers covered the newspaper "crisis"

Hsiang Iris Chyi, Seth C. Lewis, Nan Zheng

Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

42 Scopus citations

Abstract

During 2008-2010, US newspapers covered the financial issues confronting their own industry extensively. Such coverage drew attention to the state of the newspaper but also raised questions about whether journalists over-reacted to this market downturn. This study examines how the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times framed the newspaper "crisis." Results show that coverage focused on short-term drama over long-term trends, lacked sufficient context, shifted blame away from newspapers themselves, invoked "death" imagery, and altogether struggled to capture a holistic portrayal of newspapers' troubles. The implications of this analysis for self-coverage and business journalism are discussed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	305-324
Number of pages	20
Journal	Journalism Studies
Volume	13
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2011.629090
State	Published - Jun 2012

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study is funded by the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. We thank Tracy Dahlby, Angela M. Lee, Samantha Borger, and Brandon Fried for their support and assistance.

Keywords

business journalism
content analysis
media economics
newspaper coverage
newspaper crisis
recession

Publisher link

10.1080/1461670X.2011.629090

Find It

Find It at U of M Libraries

Cite this

@article{2195711e65db41fe80b276b9464cc6ad,

title = "A matter of life and death?: Examining how newspapers covered the newspaper {"}crisis{"}",

abstract = "During 2008-2010, US newspapers covered the financial issues confronting their own industry extensively. Such coverage drew attention to the state of the newspaper but also raised questions about whether journalists over-reacted to this market downturn. This study examines how the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times framed the newspaper {"}crisis.{"} Results show that coverage focused on short-term drama over long-term trends, lacked sufficient context, shifted blame away from newspapers themselves, invoked {"}death{"} imagery, and altogether struggled to capture a holistic portrayal of newspapers' troubles. The implications of this analysis for self-coverage and business journalism are discussed.",

keywords = "business journalism, content analysis, media economics, newspaper coverage, newspaper crisis, recession",

author = "Chyi, {Hsiang Iris} and Lewis, {Seth C.} and Nan Zheng",

note = "Funding Information: This study is funded by the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. We thank Tracy Dahlby, Angela M. Lee, Samantha Borger, and Brandon Fried for their support and assistance.",

year = "2012",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1080/1461670X.2011.629090",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "13",

pages = "305--324",

journal = "Journalism Studies",

issn = "1461-670X",

publisher = "Routledge",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A matter of life and death?

T2 - Examining how newspapers covered the newspaper "crisis"

AU - Chyi, Hsiang Iris

AU - Lewis, Seth C.

AU - Zheng, Nan

N1 - Funding Information: This study is funded by the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. We thank Tracy Dahlby, Angela M. Lee, Samantha Borger, and Brandon Fried for their support and assistance.

PY - 2012/6

Y1 - 2012/6

N2 - During 2008-2010, US newspapers covered the financial issues confronting their own industry extensively. Such coverage drew attention to the state of the newspaper but also raised questions about whether journalists over-reacted to this market downturn. This study examines how the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times framed the newspaper "crisis." Results show that coverage focused on short-term drama over long-term trends, lacked sufficient context, shifted blame away from newspapers themselves, invoked "death" imagery, and altogether struggled to capture a holistic portrayal of newspapers' troubles. The implications of this analysis for self-coverage and business journalism are discussed.

AB - During 2008-2010, US newspapers covered the financial issues confronting their own industry extensively. Such coverage drew attention to the state of the newspaper but also raised questions about whether journalists over-reacted to this market downturn. This study examines how the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times framed the newspaper "crisis." Results show that coverage focused on short-term drama over long-term trends, lacked sufficient context, shifted blame away from newspapers themselves, invoked "death" imagery, and altogether struggled to capture a holistic portrayal of newspapers' troubles. The implications of this analysis for self-coverage and business journalism are discussed.

KW - business journalism

KW - content analysis

KW - media economics

KW - newspaper coverage

KW - newspaper crisis

KW - recession

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84860809350&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84860809350&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/1461670X.2011.629090

DO - 10.1080/1461670X.2011.629090

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84860809350

SN - 1461-670X

VL - 13

SP - 305

EP - 324

JO - Journalism Studies

JF - Journalism Studies

IS - 3

ER -