Rethinking journalism standards in the era of post-truth politics: from truth keepers to truth mediators

Michailidou, Asimina; Trenz, Hans‐Jörg

doi:10.1177/01634437211040669

Cited by 30 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 35 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…As Greene (2021) suggests, this fading of the commitment to truthfulness for the sake of power stems from conflicting interpretations of political participation that in turn undermine political legitimacy. Affirming the advent of a post-truth era is rather misleading, given the emergent consensus on what constitutes the truth, as well as on the appropriate procedures for arriving at the truth (Michailidou and Trenz, 2021). Post-truth politics arises in a world in which individuals are subject to the constraints of conformity that prevent them from finding their own independent role in a world they do not fully control (Schindler, 2020).…”

Section: If Post-truth Politics Constitutes a Transformation Of Polit...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Conrad, M., Hálfdanarson, G., Michailidou, A., Galpin, C., and Pyrhönen, N. (Εds.) (2023). Europe in the Age of Post-Truth Politics: Populism, Disinformation and the Public Sphere. Palgrave Macmillan.

Gotsis

2023

Grsr

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: If Post-truth Politics Constitutes a Transformation Of Polit...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Conrad, M., Hálfdanarson, G., Michailidou, A., Galpin, C., and Pyrhönen, N. (Εds.) (2023). Europe in the Age of Post-Truth Politics: Populism, Disinformation and the Public Sphere. Palgrave Macmillan.

Gotsis

2023

Grsr

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, the objectivity norm in journalism is both a contested and vexed topic, rooted in a somewhat simplistic belief that there is such a thing as one objective, absolute truth. Instead, journalists often "acknowledge that their informed opinion cannot lay claim on the absolute truth, but instead remains tentative, contested, and open to revision whenever new information comes forth and doubts about the correctness of the available information are raised" (Michailidou & Trenz, 2021, p. 1342. Not least thanks to the subsequent proliferation of the "fake news" phenomenon, scholars have since begun to question what could emerge "after objectivity" (McNair, 2017).…”

Section: Impacts On Journalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responding to “Fake News”: Journalistic Perceptions of and Reactions to a Delegitimising Force

Schapals

Bruns

2022

MaC

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The “fake news” phenomenon has permeated academic scholarship and popular debate since the 2016 US presidential election. Much has been written on the circulation of “fake news” and other forms of mis- and disinformation online. Despite its ongoing proliferation, less effort has been made to better understand the work of those engaged in daily news production—journalists themselves. Funded by the Australian Research Council project Journalism Beyond the Crisis, this study investigates how journalists perceive and respond to this phenomenon at a time when the industry has come under significant attack, and trust in news media has fallen globally. To do so, it draws on in-depth interviews with journalists in Australia and the UK, providing topical insights on their perceptions of and reactions to this profoundly delegitimising force. While on one hand, our findings show journalists expressing significant concern about the rise of “fake news,” they also proactively seek—and, in some cases, implement—deliberate counterstrategies to defend their profession. These strategies range from discursive means—such as stressing and re-asserting journalists’ professional authority and legitimacy—to tangible measures at an organisational level, including newsroom diversity and increased transparency in the news production process.

show abstract

“…A recent volume claims that the emerging contestation of expertise in the EU means that its policy-making "risks losing a convincing narrative to legitimize policy choices … which cannot be legitimized through the traditional majoritarian mechanisms on which established nation-states can rely" (Abazi, Adriaensen, and Christiansen 2021, 11). Recent claims that we are living in a "post-truth" era, where trust in experts is at an all-time low, suggest that the contestation of expertise may be a problem facing more than just the EU (McIntyre 2018;Michailidou and Trenz 2021).…”

Section: Contentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symmetry in the Delegation of Power as a Legitimacy Criterion

Fjørtoft

Sandven²

2022

J of Common Market Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The delegation of power and tasks to unelected bodies, a pervasive trend in modern democracies, raises a democratic puzzle. These institutions are removed from majoritarian democratic procedures, breaking the "chain of command" from citizens to elected officials and administrations. Still, they make claims to political authority and legitimacy. This dissertation asks: Under which conditions is the delegation of power to unelected expert bodies democratically legitimate?The dissertation focuses on European Union agencies. It has been common to justify the power of EU agencies by appealing to what the dissertation calls technical legitimacy. The argument says that political neutrality and technical expertise are independent sources of legitimacy for unelected bodies. Certain institutions are legitimate despite, or even because of, their isolation from majoritarian democratic procedures.Through an introductory chapter and four articles, this dissertation aims to delineate the boundaries of technical legitimacy. It cautions against too much faith in technical legitimacy, for instance through the widespread claim that agencies' value-freedom will ensure their legitimacy. But it also disagrees with the position that technical legitimacy is never appropriate. The challenge is to figure out when technical legitimacy may be the appropriate standard-and what should come in its place where it is not.The dissertation combines empirical and normative analysis. A mixedmethods media analysis finds that the legitimation arguments used about agencies in public debate depend on their scientific "hardness" and public salience. A case study of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, uncovers how appeals to technical legitimacy were central when it iii iv summary received a new mandate in 2016. On the normative side, the dissertation argues that agencies face different legitimacy demands depending on their level of epistemic uncertainty and the consequences of potential errors. It also develops a symmetry criterion for legitimacy. The legitimacy of an agency might depend on the level of power delegated to other agencies in a policy area, so that the system as a whole leaves no gaps. Taken together, the dissertation argues against a one-size-fits-all approach to legitimacy: Every institution must not satisfy everything that democracy demands, but the system as a whole must. I want to thank my supervisors, Erik O. Eriksen and Asimina Michailidou, for all discussions and comments on my drafts and ideas. It's been a privilege to work with Erik Oddvar. His commitment to the combination of normative and empirical analysis has shaped my project in more ways than one, and his advice always gives me something to think about. Asimina's perceptive readings and constructive feedback have been frequent lifesavers. Co-writing an article with Asimina was a particular joy and motivation. arena Centre for European Studies at the University of Oslo has been my academic home since I started as a part-time research assistant more than six y...

show abstract

Rethinking journalism standards in the era of post-truth politics: from truth keepers to truth mediators

Cited by 30 publications

References 35 publications

Conrad, M., Hálfdanarson, G., Michailidou, A., Galpin, C., and Pyrhönen, N. (Εds.) (2023). Europe in the Age of Post-Truth Politics: Populism, Disinformation and the Public Sphere. Palgrave Macmillan.

Conrad, M., Hálfdanarson, G., Michailidou, A., Galpin, C., and Pyrhönen, N. (Εds.) (2023). Europe in the Age of Post-Truth Politics: Populism, Disinformation and the Public Sphere. Palgrave Macmillan.

Responding to “Fake News”: Journalistic Perceptions of and Reactions to a Delegitimising Force

Symmetry in the Delegation of Power as a Legitimacy Criterion

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About