Scientific article
OA Policy
English

The (Partisan) Role of the Press in Direct Democratic Campaigns: Evidence from a Swiss Vote on European Integration

Published inSchweizerische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft, vol. 18, no. 3, p. 287-304
Publication date2012
Abstract

This article analyzes the role of the press in direct democratic campaigns. The paper argues the press has a dual role: On news pages, newspapers ought to inform citizens about the issue positions and frames of the pro and con camps in a balanced way. In editorials, newspapers act as political advocates that promote their own issue frames and try to shape public opinion through voting recommendations. Comparing the issue positions and frames in editorials and news reports in the run-up to the vote on the popular initiative ‘‘Yes to Europe'' in Switzerland, this article shows that newspapers give similar visibility to the pro and con camps regardless of the papers' own editorial position. However, some newspapers favor issue frames that are in line with their editorial perspectives. In conclusion, newspapers are more similar in news report content than in editorial views.

Keywords
  • Media coverage
  • Editorial Slant
  • Framing
  • Direct Democracy
  • Switzerland
Citation (ISO format)
TRESCH, Anke Daniela. The (Partisan) Role of the Press in Direct Democratic Campaigns: Evidence from a Swiss Vote on European Integration. In: Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft, 2012, vol. 18, n° 3, p. 287–304. doi: 10.1111/j.1662-6370.2012.02073.x
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Article (Published version)
accessLevelPublic
Identifiers
Journal ISSN1424-7755
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Technical informations

Creation17/08/2012 10:05:00
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Update time14/03/2023 17:39:32
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