Historical Trends in Questioning Presidents, 1953-2000

被引:90
作者
Clayman, Steven [1 ]
Elliott, Marc [2 ]
Heritage, John [3 ]
McDonald, Laurie [2 ]
机构
[1] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Sociol & Commun Studies, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
[2] RAND, Santa Monica, CA 90406 USA
[3] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Sociol, Los Angeles, CA USA
基金
美国国家科学基金会;
关键词
D O I
10.1111/j.1741-5705.2006.02568.x
中图分类号
D0 [政治学、政治理论];
学科分类号
0302 ; 030201 ;
摘要
This article develops a system for analyzing the aggressiveness of journalists' questions to public figures and applies that system to a sample of presidential news conferences from Eisenhower through Clinton. The primary objective is to use the phenomenon of aggressive questioning as a window into the White House press corps and its evolving relationship to the presidency. Ten features of question design are examined as indicators of four basic dimensions of aggressiveness: (1) initiative, (2) directness, (3) assertiveness, and (4) adversarialness. The results reveal significant trends for all dimensions, all indicating a long-term decline in deference to the president and the rise of a more vigorous and at times adversarial posture. While directness has increased gradually over time and is relatively insensitive to the immediate sociopolitical context, initiative, assertiveness, and adversarialness are more volatile and sensitive to local conditions. The volatile dimensions rose from the late 1960s through the early 1980s, declined from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, and rose again at century's end. Possible factors contributing to these trends, and their broader ramifications for the evolving relationship between the news media and the presidency, are also discussed.
引用
收藏
页码:561 / 583
页数:23
相关论文
共 78 条
[61]   Grammar and social organization: Yes/no interrogatives and the structure of responding [J].
Raymond, G .
AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW, 2003, 68 (06) :939-967
[62]  
Robinson M. J., 1981, THE NEW C, P55
[63]   PUBLIC AFFAIRS TELEVISION AND GROWTH OF POLITICAL MALAISE - CASE OF SELLING OF PENTAGON [J].
ROBINSON, MJ .
AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW, 1976, 70 (02) :409-432
[64]   Pop quizzes on the campaign trail - Journalists, candidates, and the limits of questioning [J].
Roth, AL .
HARVARD INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRESS-POLITICS, 2005, 10 (02) :28-46
[65]   Who makes the news? Descriptions of television news interviewees' public personae [J].
Roth, AL .
MEDIA CULTURE & SOCIETY, 1998, 20 (01) :79-+
[66]  
ROZELL MJ, 1994, C PRESS PUBLIC, P59
[67]  
SABATO LJ, 1991, FEEDING FRENZY ATTAC
[68]  
Schudson M., 1992, WATERGATE AM MEMORY
[69]  
Schudson Michael, 1995, POWER NEWS
[70]  
Schwartz Barry, 1987, GEORGE WASHINGTON MA