Ajakirjanikud kui ajaloo tõlgendajad, vahendajad või aktualiseerijad. Juhtumianalüüs Tartu rahu kajastamise näitel Eesti Päevalehes ja Postimehes aastatel 2005, 2007, 2009 ja 2010
Date
2010
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
The aim of this bachelor thesis is to analyse what is the journalists’ role in creating the
disquisition of the past: how much journalists themselves are interpreters of history, how much they
mediate the interpretations of others and how big is their role in actualizing certain subjects. Thesis
is carried out as a case study of Tartu Peace Treatys' anniversarys' media coverage in Eesti
Päevaleht and Postimees in years 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010.
The methods used are qualitative text analysis and semi-structured interviews with journalists.
The sample of text analysis consisted of examples of anniversary journalism in Eesti Päevaleht and
Postimees in the years 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010. Additionally, the author interviewed three
journalists from Eesti Päevaleht and three from Postimees and one who used to work at Postimees
but now works in Maaleht.
Firstly, the author found out who mostly speak of history and history-related subjects in media. It
turned out, that approximately three quarters of these articles were written by journalists (54 out of
71). The biggest group among speakers and sources were specialists (23 out of 70).
The analysis revealed that the role of journalist is hard to define in a clear and unambiguous way.
In the texts references to all three roles of journalists were found. The role of journalists depended
on the genre of text whereby the least unambiguous interpretations were given by journalists in the
news genre and most in editorials. The most important role that the journalists had was bringing up
subjects and asking questions, as well as focusing and setting highlights on certain subjects. But
they also performed as mediators of others’ statements and less frequently as direct interpreter.
Therewith, it is significant that the journalist as the selector of the subject and provider of space is
important regarding every media text.
These processes have been analysed according to interviews and conclusions have been made,
that journalists cherish the novelty of the subject as well as rely on existing narratives. At the same
time they are not only autonomous deciders, but are also influenced by several factors.
During the analysis it turned out that the most direct interpretations were given in two articles
written by the same journalist. This led to the idea that the role of the journalist as the interpreter
may depend on the individual.
Several aspects on the given subject are worth further research. Firstly, for instance it could be
studied what are the processes in editorial boards that precede the publishing of a media text and
what factors are important there. It would be reasonable to use the ethnographic observation
method. Also it would be interesting to find out how the interpretation of history depends on the
journalists and their individual preferences and characteristics and what are the journalists own
understandings of their role compared to the role they appear to have in the researched texts.