“Sources and Journalists” Revisited: Proposing an Interdependent Approach to Source Use

Abstract

This study analyzed print journalists’ perceptions of source use during the 2014 U.S. midterm elections. Rank-order measures required journalists to compare five prevalent source types, revealing patterns in the acquisition of news content. While one or two sources (e.g., politicians and experts) exhibit a strong lead on some content, other source types are interchangeable, speaking to the “specialized” nature of certain information. Further analyses demonstrate a dichotomy, with patterns in acquiring traditional journalistic content (e.g., authoritative, credible, articulate) differing from those related to content defined as “soft” or “infotainment” (e.g., drama and emotion).

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