The Discursive (Re)construction of Journalism’s Gatekeeping Role

Abstract

Through the lens of discursive institutionalism, and drawing on an extensive corpus of metajournalistic discourse dating from 2000 to 2017, this study considers how journalists have defined and (re)constructed their gatekeeping role against the backdrop of seismic changes confronting their field. In so doing, it considers the legitimizing or delegitimizing discourses journalistic actors use when addressing journalism’s gatekeeping role.