The Media Relations Network: A Social Network Study on Media Relations in a New Media Environment

• In Event: Public Relations for Politics and Governments

Abstract

In the new media environment, the well-attuned interplay between journalists and media professionals is subject to changes. Based on the assumption that a social network approach is fruitful for the analysis of this changing interplay, the relationship between journalists and media professionals in politics is conceived as a whole actor network, which is called here political media relations-network. Empirically, a social network survey of 74 spokespeople from various political organizations and journalists from leading news media in Germany has been conducted. The results indicate that contrary to what one might expect, the media relations-network appears to be relatively stable. New actors such as bloggers are rarely integrated in the network. One explanation for this might be that the existing ties between the actors are characterized as routine arrangements. However, weak ties exist towards new actors which might change the elite political media relations-network in the long run.

Authors

• Juliana J.C. Raupp, Free U - Berlin

• Christin Schink, Freie U - Berlin