The Sourcing of Stories on Sugar and the Supermarket Industry in the British Press

Abstract

This paper looked at the nature of sourcing stories in the press coverage of the anti-sugar debate and the supermarket industry in the UK. The research design was a mixed-method study founded in an interpretivist epistemology. Content analysis has been conducted on 454 articles from national and regional press and this analysis provided an answer on who influences the news agenda. Qualitative interviews with journalists explored what sources journalists use when selecting and sourcing stories. The findings show that NGOs are regularly used as a source for stories in the British press, while the news agenda is largely driven by the self-interest of journalists, which corresponds with agenda of the NGO Action on Sugar. Journalists also largely rely on contacts when sourcing stories, but NGOs are present in the mind of journalists when deciding how to source stories. In addition, views of journalists correspond with views of NGOs on the role and position of the business in society.