The interaction between experts and journalists in news journalism

Abstract

The article investigates why journalists choose to use experts as sources in their news coverage and the nature of the interaction of experts and journalists. During a month-long period in 2003, both journalists and experts were contacted on the day a news article appearing in one of the three largest national Danish newspapers referred to experts. In the vast majority of the cases, the contact comes as the result of initiatives taken by the journalists (approximately 90% of the cases), not the other way around (1 — 2% of the cases). Relatively active interaction proceeds between experts and journalists, whereby the expert generally provides background knowledge and serves as a sparring partner for the journalist in the attempts of the latter to interpret a given event or course of events on the public agenda.