The Jeremiad Over Journalism

Additionally, in terms of the content analysis, it is going to be of great importance to analyze the
2011 election campaign in Denmark utilizing the code book and coding scheme for the current
project for reasons of comparison. In the above content analysis five American election campaigns
are studied, but only four Danish. The reason for this discrepancy is a conscious choice, since the
2008 campaign in the United States seemed to present such a watershed in the use of new media,
that it at times spilled over into coverage and subsequently has been the source of scholarly
attention. 629
The consequence of the discrepancy between the number of Danish and American election
campaigns is difficult to gauge, but it is likely that it does not challenge the overall conclusions
reached about the influence of commercialization and the ideal of objectivity. The Danish press
appropriated a descriptive, balanced style in the 1970‘s and 1980‘s when the two countries can be
directly compared, and Lund and Sepstrup‘s analysis from 2009 conclude that commercialization
has not affected the Danish media environment to the extent that one may fear in part due to
government subsidies. 630 Using a different code book, Bro et al. did, however find that only 36
percent of news stories in the 2005 election campaign dealt with political substance. The
commercialization hypothesis H1 stating that one should suspect a greater focus on ―form‖ instead
of ―substance,‖ over time may therefore be affected. 631
Additionally, futher studies of the importance of context in election studies seems warranted. The
content analysis conducted above seems to indicate an increase in strategy coverage for all the
American news outlets in the close 2000 election campaign and a greater focus on issues in the
2001 Danish election where immigration was the overarching political issue. Determining whether
or not closely contested national elections also lead to increased strategy coverage would, for
example, seem warranted.
(National Archives. RG 59. General Records of the Department of State. Subject Numeric Files. Culture and
Information. EDU. 10-3. DEN. 1971. June 4, 1970).
629
Entman, "Media Framing Biases and Political Power: Explaining Slant in News of Campaign 2008." Nagourney,
"The '08 Campaign: Sea Change for Politics as We Know It." Page 1. Schudson, "The New Media in the 2008 U.S.
Presidential Campaign: The New York Times Watches Its Back."
630
Lund and Sepstrup, "Udredning Af Den Fremtidige Offentlige Mediestøtte [A Report on the Future of State Media
Subsidies]." Page 44-48 and 61-64.
631
Bro et al., "Mediernes Valgkamp [The Media's Election Campaign]." Page 12. Currently it does, however, seem
likely that the Danish election campaign will be focused on a debate over early retirement benefits and thereby issue
coverage. Hilmar Vester, "Regeringen Vil Afskaffe Efterlønnen [The Government Will Eliminate Early Retirement
Benefits]," http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Politik/2011/01/01/01150722.htm. Date accessed January 1, 2011.
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