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Ioana A. Coman

Abstract

This international comparative analysis explores what categories the public uses to evaluate the media performances of American and French journalists and media covering terrorist attacks. Specifically, the study looked at the Boston Marathon bombing (2013), and the Paris (Bataclan) terrorist attacks (2015), and the related online news stories comment sections of The New York Times and Le Figaro. The online comments of each news story were examined through a qualitative content analysis. The study shows that in a time of crisis commenters both appreciate and criticize journalistic performance and make direct demands to the journalists and editors. When applying journalistic norms and values to their critiques (criticism, plaudits, direct demands), commenters tended to fall with two categories - puritans and realists. They either drew from the ideal journalistic norms that should be upheld no matter what or judged journalistic performance through the lenses of the current context of the crises. Similarities and differences between the two countries and cases are also discussed.

Journal Title

Iowa Journal of Communication

Volume

53

Issue

2

First Page

49

Last Page

69

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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