A Welfare State of Mind?

The development of journalism in the Nordic countries has been shaped by two interconnected ideologies: the welfare state and democratic corporatism. International reviews have repeatedly emphasized the similarities of the media systems in these countries. However, less work has been done on the pro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journalism studies (London, England) England), 2017-05, Vol.18 (5), p.595
Main Authors: Ahva, Laura, van Dalen, Arjen, Hovden, Jan Fredrik, Kolbeins, Guðbjörg Hildur, Löfgren Nilsson, Monica, Skovsgaard, Morten, Väliverronen, Jari
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude surveys
Corporatism
Industrial democracy
Journalism
Journalists
Mass media
National identity
Political culture
Professional ethics
Professional identity
Welfare state
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Summary:The development of journalism in the Nordic countries has been shaped by two interconnected ideologies: the welfare state and democratic corporatism. International reviews have repeatedly emphasized the similarities of the media systems in these countries. However, less work has been done on the professional identity of individual journalists working within these systems. In this article, the similarities and differences between journalists' professional values and perceptions in the Nordic countries are explored based on survey data from the Worlds of Journalism Study. The results indicate that despite country-specific variance, Nordic journalists share a vision of their professional identity especially in terms of seeing themselves as detached watchdogs and renouncing the role of opportunist facilitator. Another Nordic characteristic is the low level of experienced economic influence on journalistic work. In important ways, thus, Nordic journalists' professional views appear to reflect central characteristics of the political culture and media systems in which they work.
ISSN:1461-670X
1469-9699
DOI:10.1080/1461670X.2016.1249005