Journalism Norms, Values, and Role Perceptions

This chapter explores two key questions: how does the way journalists identify with the shared values of the profession serve as a guide for their actions; and how does ‘being a journalist’ shape news? The chapter first considers debates about the importance of journalism’s claim to the status of a profession and introduces the norms and values associated with this status. It then considers how the variety of role perceptions and values that journalists identify with guide their production of news. The chapter demonstrates that the ability of journalists to enact and perform roles is highly dependent on social, organisational, political, and economic contexts. In practice, interpretations of role perceptions and values and their application in news making vary according to national cultures, news organisations, and the type of journalism pursued. Finally, the chapter examines two professional values in depth: objectivity as an established value; and transparency as an emerging value and potential new norm.