The construction of economic expertise

Abstract

this is a commentary article on "Economic Experts. A Discursive Political Economy of Economics". Referring extensively to a recent commentary by Joseph Stiglitz on the Greek referendum (5 July 2015) in The Guardian, I investigate and illustrate the theoretical approach put forward by Jens Maesse. Drawing on empirical studies in journalism, sociology and management I argue for a more empirical specification of the model, including a detailed study of discourse transformations as experts move between epistemic fields, as well as a reconsideration of the power structure between expert and client or user.

Constructing Experts Without Expertise: Fiscal Reporting in the British Press, 2010–2016

“…This is not only a matter of authority but also a legitimising strategy offering credentials as a guarantee of quality for whatever news text follows. Economic experts construct their expertise with information, but also by being willing to answer the question 'why,' not only describing, but also interpreting (Pelsmaekers, 2016). Mediated opinions of economic experts contribute to public discourse about the economy and especially fiscal policy (Dellepiane-Avellaneda, 2015, Vaara, 2014.…”