Negotiating political news: The two phases of off-the-record interaction

Abstract

This article analyses the interference of political print journalists with the political process through off-the-record interaction with political sources and provides an explanation as to why ambiguity of meaning characterises this off-the-record interaction. The central claim is that the ideal – or ‘myth’ – of mutual distinction between journalism and politics in some situations constrains interactions between journalists and political actors, and in others is overruled by the same actors now attending more to their own organisational interests. The article thus demonstrates a loose coupling between back region behaviour and front region adherence to institutional myths. The empirical data comprise observation studies of journalist and political source interaction and qualitative interviews with political journalists, political press advisors and elected politicians. The article distinguishes between two different phases of news production in off-the-record interaction. In the explorative phase, journalists indirectly influence politics via the exchange of political intelligence with political actors. In the realisation phase, the journalist may orchestrate politics by inviting the political actor to political action on the record.