Professional Roles of Russian and U.S. Journalists: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This study compares the perceptions of Russian and U.S. journalists regarding the importance of various professional roles. It also identifies predictors of three key journalistic roles — the timely disseminator, the interpreter, and the adversary — and compares these predictors across countries. These findings are based on interviews with 1,156 U.S. journalists during the summer of 1992 and 1,000 Russian journalists during autumn of 1992. These interviews suggest that there are similarities between Russian and U.S. journalists' views, but also some notable differences.