2015 07 10 moscow
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Institute of Media and Communication “A maturing discipline: The development of comprehensive theories and designs in communication research.” Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Donsbach Institute of Media and Communication Technische Universität Dresden www.donsbach.net Higher School of Economics - Moscow, Russia Conference "Communication as a Discipline and as a Field” July 11, 2015 www.donsbach.net
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Transcript of 2015 07 10 moscow
Institute of Media and Communication
“A maturing discipline: The development of comprehensive theories and designs in
communication research.”
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Donsbach
Institute of Media and CommunicationTechnische Universität Dresden
www.donsbach.net
Higher School of Economics - Moscow, Russia
Conference "Communication as a Discipline and as a Field”
July 11, 2015
www.donsbach.net
www.donsbach.net
Topics
A struggling discipline
www.donsbach.net
What defines a discipline?
Object
Theory
Methods
Problem
www.donsbach.net
– General competence: keen awareness of relevant history, current affairs, and analytical thinking
– Subject competence: expertise in the specific subjects about which he or she reports
– Process competence: scientifically based knowledge about the communication process
– Journalistic skills
– Professional values: conduct himself or herself within the norms of professional ethics
The Five Basic Competences of Journalism
= the Authority of Journalism
www.donsbach.net
Conditions for a professional journalism?
”Many/most J&MC programs don’t do a very good job of teaching the philosophy of journalism, the history of journalism, and/or purpose of journalism, particularly how journalism is absolutely necessary, not irrelevant or harmful, to both democracy and capitalism”
„Most deans/directors are largely fund-raisers and administrators“
(Claussen 2012)
No leadership/no excellence
www.donsbach.net
Topics
A struggling discipline
How disciplines advance
www.donsbach.net
Advancement of disciplines
Phase Activity Example from sciences
Young Description collecting and sorting stones
Developing Correlation finding similarities and „laws“ among them
Mature Explication Explaining their genesis and composition through quantum mechanics
www.donsbach.net
Topics
A struggling discipline
How disciplines advance
Our Higgs boson?!
www.donsbach.net
The ultimate „driving force“ in communication?
Annie Lang: We need just one paradigm? Adaption to the environment
• „humans are born to change“ adoption to environment
• communication as a natural evolutionary development which serves to promote the continued existence of the species and the individual as it attempts to adapt through change to an unpredictable and unstable environment.
• “From this perspective, the whole notion of effects is ridiculous”
• Changes are the result of a combination of environmental pressures and stimuli, as well as internal forces such as development, education, and biological imperatives.
Lang 2013
www.donsbach.net
Or is it communibiology?
Betty & McCroskey: individual differences in communication behavior and responses to messages are manifestations of individual differences in inborn thresholds for activation of the neurobiological systems responsible for the particular response.
From genes to neurobiological traits and patterns to communication behavior?
Twins research: Inheritable 70% of variation in traits related to interpersonal affiliation
(e.g., extraversion, friendliness, verbal expressiveness, gregariousness, empathy, perspective-taking)
65% of the variance in social anxiety traits 58% of the variance in aggressiveness
www.donsbach.net
Topics
A struggling discipline
How disciplines advance
Our Higgs boson?!
Descriptive and superficial theories
Gatekeeper and news value ‚theory‘
www.donsbach.net
What is the problem?
• We are good in modelling these processes but weak in theorizing
www.donsbach.net
Ideological level
Extramedia level
Organizational level
Media routines level
Individual level
Shoemaker & Reese (1991)
Models of News Decisions
www.donsbach.net
What is the problem?
• We are good in modelling these processes but weak in theorizing
• Input known, output known
• But what happens in the blackbox
Available news/“reality“
News media content??
www.donsbach.net
What is the problem?
• We are good in modelling these processes but weak in theorizing
• Input known, output known
• But what happens in the blackbox
• E.g. news value theory: only structure of news content
• Schulz: “principles of journalists’ construction of reality”
• But: no explanatory concept why these principles exist and why they change!
www.donsbach.net
Changing News IdeologiesPercent of News Containing Some Form of
Criticism in Swedish News Media
Quelle: Westerstahl & Johanssen 1986, S. 142
1912 24 36/37 48 60 72 80/81 81/84
Met Press TV2 Radio TV1%
Ideology of critical journalism
Traditional news ideology/Paternalistic ideology
www.donsbach.net
Bad NewsNegative Coverage of Presidential Candidates
Quelle: Patterson 1993; 2000
1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000
Bad News%
50%
www.donsbach.net
What is the problem?
• We are good in modelling these processes but weak in theorizing
• Input – output known
• But what happens in the blackbox
• E.g. news value theory: only structure of news content
• Schulz: “principles of journalists’ construction of reality”
• But: no explanatory concept why these principles exist and why they change!
• We treat the process of news in many aspects without really unveiling the underlying processes
www.donsbach.net
A few attempts to overcome this problem
• Evolutionary theory of news values
www.donsbach.net
Significance
Social Evolution
Deviance
Biological Evolution
Statistical deviance
Deviance through social change
Normative deviance
Political
Economic
Cultural
Public
Theory of Deviance and Significance (Shoemaker 2002)
Negativity bias/ automatic vigilance
www.donsbach.net
A few attempts to overcome this problem
• Evolutionary theory of news values
• Need for protection of one’s predispositions
www.donsbach.net
• hypothesis theory of perception
• Schema theory
• Theory of cognitive dissonance
General theories about the power of cognitive predispositions
Specific theories on news decisions
• Theory of instrumental actualization
• Framing theory
www.donsbach.net
Theory of Instrumental Actualization
Desired effects among
audience
SelectionInstrumentality
of news for desired effects
among audience
Motivation for decision-making
Availab
le
new
s
Kepplinger 1989
www.donsbach.net
A few attempts to overcome this problem
• Evolutionary theory of news values
• Need for protection of one’s predispositions
• Need for social validation of perceptions
www.donsbach.net
What is true? ( Truth)
Was ist relevant? ( news value)
Was ist good/acceptable? ( evaluation)
Time pressure
Lack of objective criteria
Pressure of competition
publicness
„Undetermined situations“
Explaining journalists’ behavior through socio-psychological drivers: Journalists’ dilemma
Help by in-groups
www.donsbach.net
The power of group decision-makingShared Reality: Perception through communication
„…we suggest that in the absence of social verification, experience is transitory, random, and ephemeral… But once recognized by others and shared in an ongoing, dynamic process of social verification we term ‘shared reality’, experience is no longer subjective…That is, experience is established as valid and reliable to the extent that it is shared with others”
(Hardin & Higgins 1996: 28)
www.donsbach.net
"frames of reference“ (Halloran et al.)
"news ideologies“ (Westerstahl and Johanssen (1986)
“news frames” (Entman 1989)
“scripts” (Kerbel and Ross 1999)
Role of key events
Examples for consequences of shared reality in news content
www.donsbach.net
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
4 weeksbefore
4 weeksafter
SZFAZSTZAZ
Key events:: Announcement of Rock Hudson being infected with AIDS virus July 7, 1985, Major truck accident in Germany July 7, 1987; San Francisco earthquake October 17, 1989. Coded: Coverage of people being infected by AIDS, truck accidents, earthquakes (in each case excluding coverage of key events)
No. of stories
Influence of Key Events on News Values in Subsequent ReportingSource: Kepplinger, Habermeier 1995
www.donsbach.net
Topics
A struggling discipline
How disciplines advance
Our Higgs boson?!
Descriptive and superficial theories
Gatekeeper and news value ‚theory‘
Selective exposure ‚theory‘
Most cases de-facto-selectivity = descriptive
Explanations behind?
www.donsbach.net
Topics
A struggling discipline
How disciplines advance
Our Higgs boson?!
Descriptive and superficial theories
Gatekeeper and news value ‚theory‘
Selective exposure ‚theory‘
Agenda setting ‚theory‘
descriptive
Why-Question unanswered
Advancement through cognitive theories
www.donsbach.net
Topics
A struggling discipline
How disciplines advance
Our Higgs boson?!
Descriptive and superficial theories
Gatekeeper and news value ‚theory‘
Selective exposure ‚theory‘
Agenda setting ‚theory‘
Variables behind variables?
- Go below surface of existing „domain“ variables
- Integrate theories comprehensive theories
www.donsbach.net
Motivation for interest in politics
Paramount research question in a democracy
www.donsbach.net
Interest in politics on the decline
Interest in politics is decreasing particularly among adolesents of the lower class
Adolescents from 14-24 who have at least a slight interest in politics:
high socio-economic sta-tus
middle socio-economic status
low socio-economic status0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
67
57
45
65
49
32
19952011
Source: Allensbacher Markt- und Werbeträgeranalyse 1995 and 2011
[%]
www.donsbach.netSource: Pew Research Center
„I enjoy keeping up with the news“ (USA 2006-2012)
2006 2008 2010 20120
10
20
30
40
50
60
52 52
45 4338 38
2724
all18-29
* Soule, S. (2001). Will They Engage? Political Knowledge, Participation and Attitudes of Generations X and Y. Available at: http://www.civiced.org/papers/research_ engage.pdf [August 30, 2013].
www.donsbach.net
Information Intake by age
14–17 18–29 30+0
10
20
30
40
50
60
News Topic 1
News Topic 2
Both Topics
What proportion of the population got information about the news topics?
n=600 (each)Basis: Whole population!
%
42% informed themselves about both news items
www.donsbach.net
Motivation for interest in politics
Paramount research question in a democracy
Needs comprehensive theories
Needs dynamic models (ongoing interaction process)
Changes in motivation = result and cause
What drives motivation to get engaged in politics?
Traditionally: Media malaise hypothesis
Unidirectional and superficial (still true)
www.donsbach.net
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1972 1976 1980 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 2002 2005 2009
Kandidaten der CDU/CSU Kandidaten der SPD Gesamt
Candidates in the German pressBalance between positive and negative reports/election year
Wilke & Reinemann 2003
- Mean for both candidates
www.donsbach.net
Declining Reputation of Politicians
“Do you think it needs great capabilities to become a member of parliament?
East GermanyWest Germany
Not needed Not needed
45
Ba d Ne ws - Ba d OpinionsG ünst ige und ungüns t ige Er wähnungen der Pr äsdent schaf t kandidat en
in Tim e und Newsweek , n= 4. 263 und Dur chschnit t der W ähler m einung f ür die jeweiligen Kandidat en
Qu e lle : Pa tte rs o n 1 9 9 3 , S . 2 0 , 2 3
#
#
# #
##
#
#
#
1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992
Bad News negat ive W ähler - M einung#%
P ro f. D o n s b a c h
50%
Classic Model of Media Malaise: Negative Content Negative Attitudes: Coverage of Candidates for US Presidency
Balance of negative over positive attitudes
Balance of negative over positive news
www.donsbach.net
Motivation for interest in politics
Paramount research question in a democracy
Needs comprehensive theories
Needs dynamic models (ongoing interaction process)
Changes in motivation = result and cause
What drives motivation to get engaged in politics?
Traditionally: Media malaise hypothesis
Unidirectional and superficial (still true)
Looking for more deeper drivers of behavior
www.donsbach.net
Motivation for engaging in political communication
concept of the self = „motivational engine“ of political communication behavior
Closely related to cognitive dissonance
Three elements:
Competent
Moral
Able to predict own behavior (De Marree et al. 2007)
Hypothesis: When attacks on concept of self: dis-identification with the domain in question (Aronson et al. 1995)
Dynamic model
www.donsbach.net
Relevance of politics
(low)
Dis-Identification from politics
External pol. efficacy(low)
News use(low)
Media coverage of politics
(negativism)
Spiral of political dis-identification
Treatment of politics in
interpersonal communication
Political knowledge(low)
Political Information
Internal political competence
(high)Disso-nance
Political talk(low)
Motivation
to incre
ase
know
ledge
change
Political malaise(high)
Internal pol. Efficacy
(low)
Com-plex
issues
www.donsbach.net
Wave 1July 2013
Wave 3December 2013
22.09.2013Federal election
Political exception phase
(vgl. Boczkowski & Mitchelstein 2012)
Political routine phase
(vgl. Boczkowski & Mitchelstein 2012)
Wave 4July 2014
Wave 2September 2013
Panel-Design
50
Quality of Information • Information about politics• Information about issue• Talking about politics• Talking about specific issue• Exposure to professional media
Attitudes towards politics: Interactive effects
Political complexityHigh/low complexity of issues
Personal Relevance• Interest in Politics• Interest in election• Interest in issue
Perceived general political efficacyIn time elapsed
JUNE 2013 SEPTEMBER 2013
Age
Education
Male
Empfundene Kompetenz
in Bezug auf Politik im Allgemeinen
Perceived general competenceIn time elapsed
JUNE 2013 SEPTEMBER 2013
+
+
+ +
+
+Attack on
concept of self
Dis-identifica-tion politics
www.donsbach.net
Studies needed for comprehensive theories
Individual-level data
Longitudinal data
More fine-grained measurement of exposure
Inclusion of social networks
Concrete communication exposure
Concrete communication content
Combination of citizen variables and content variables
