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Cited by 371News Media Framing and Political CommunicationJournalism and Media StudiesMedia Influence and Politics

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 21 of the 21 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

A COMPROMISED FOURTH ESTATE?: UK news journalism, public relations and news sources

Lewis, Justin, Williams, Andrew, Franklin, Bob·2008·Journalism Studies
DOI 10.1080/14616700701767974
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Abstract

The suggestion that the activities of public relations professionals and news agencies help to shape news content in national and local news media is increasingly commonplace among journalists, academics and public relations professionals. The findings from this study provide substantive empirical evidence to support such claims. The study analyses the domestic news content of UK national “quality” newspapers (2207 items in the Guardian, The Times, Independent, Daily Telegraph and the mid-market Daily Mail) and radio and television news reports (402 items broadcast by BBC Radio 4, BBC News, ITV News and SkyNews), across two week-long sample periods in 2006, to identify the influence of specific public relations materials and news agency copy (especially reports provided by the UK Press Association) in published and broadcast news contents. The findings illustrate that journalists’ reliance on these news sources is extensive and raises significant questions concerning claims to journalistic independence in UK news media and journalists’ role as a fourth estate. A political economy analysis suggests that the factors which have created this editorial reliance on these ‘information subsidies’ seems set to continue, if not increase, in the near future.

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Crossref · 10.1080/14616700701767974

Cites

21 of 21 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Campbell , Duncan (2006) “Relatives Have Their Say on Murders That Shattered Their Lives” , Guardian , 24 April , pp. 10 – 11 .
  2. Franklin Bob, 1988, Public Relations Activities in Local Government
  3. Garner , Richard (2006) “Class Sizes Increase in Infant Schools Despite 1997 Pledge” , Independent , 28 April , pp. 4 – 5 .
  4. Lewis Justin, 2006, Shoot First and Ask Questions Later: media coverage of the war in Iraq
  5. Manning P., 2008, Pulling Newspapers Apart: analysing print journalism
  6. Plunkett , John (2006) “Press and PR Partnership—networking or not working” , MediaGuardian , 10 April , p. 3

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Metadata

Authors
Lewis, J., Williams, A., & Franklin, B.
Corresponding author
  • Lewis, Justin
  • Williams, Andrew
  • Franklin, Bob
ORCID
Venue
Journalism Studies
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2008-02
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
1-20
ISSN
  • 1461-670X (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-9699
DOI
10.1080/14616700701767974
OpenAlex
W1608119483
Cited by
371
References
21
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 36 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Journalism Studies (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Communication › News Media Framing and Political Communication
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Journalism and Media Studies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Media Influence and Politics
Keywords
news agencies, editorial independence, fourth estate, news content, quality newspapers, radio and television news, press associations, information subsidies, political economy of journalism, British media

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