ABSTRACT
International studies of journalism have demonstrated that the onward march of globalization coincides with a convergence in journalistic orientations and practices. The ideals of objectivity and impartiality dominate many newsrooms around the world, indicating a “diffusion of occupational ideologies,” or “transfer of ideology,” from the West to the East (Golding, 1977, pp. 292-293). Similarities in professional routines, editorial procedures and socialization processes exist in countries as diverse as Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Tanzania and the United States (Hanitzsch, 2005; Herscovitz, 2004; Ramaprasad, 2001; Weaver, Beam, Brownlee, Voakes, & Wilhoit, 2007; Weischenberg, Malik, & Scholl, 2006). At the same time, research has shown that substantive differences continue to prevail, and that professional views and practices of journalists are deeply colored by national media systems (e.g., Berkowitz, Limor, & Singer, 2004; Deuze, 2002; Esser, 1998; Golding & Elliott, 1979; Patterson & Donsbach, 1996; Shoemaker & Cohen, 2006; Splichal & Sparks, 1994; Weaver 1998b). Hence, the attempt to probe deeper into these similarities and differences in journalistic cultures around the world has become one of the most fascinating sub-domains in the fi eld of journalism studies, and researchers in this area increasingly adopt a comparative perspective.
