ABSTRACT
Realist perspectives, including the normative standards of journalism itself, purport that news is constructed by journalists out of Reality. The most developed modern form, Critical Realism, wants to show that, it is based on actually existing social structures. Pragmatism also offers an open and democratic solution to finding meaning in social life. The Antirealist perspectives argue, in part, that what is true differs from society to society and is largely based on our language. Structuralism, on the other hand, largely removes any concept of Reality from the discussion, instead focusing on analysing the play of signs. The normativity of journalism rests on the dialectic of Realism and Pragmatism. The two contradictory epistemological formations form an irreconcilable dialectic. The antagonisms between them are functional, allowing the epistemology of journalism to float between both polls.
