Value Structure and Dimensions - Evidence from the German World Values Survey

Publication Type

Journal contribution (peer reviewed)

Authors

Maximilian Held, Jan Mueller, Franziska Deutsch, Ewa Grzechnik, Christian Welzel

Year of publication

2009

Published in

World Values Research

Band/Volume

2/3

ISBN / ISSN / eISSN

2000-2777

This paper presents a systematic comparison of online newspaper coverage comprising both Eastern and Western European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom). Countries were sampled according to the classification developed by Hallin and Mancini (liberal, democratic-corporatist, polarized-pluralist countries) as well as according to membership status in the European Union (six old members, two members that joined in 2004 and two that entered in 2007). Analysis focuses on three dimensions: similarity in reporting styles (i.e. factualness of news reports), vertical Europeanization of news (degree of focus on EU matters) as well as horizontal Europeanization (intensity and patterns of mutual observation between countries). Correlational, regression and cluster analyses are employed in studying the data. Results show that there are no systematic country differences in online reporting styles. Levels of both vertical and horizontal Europeanization in online news can be explained by EU membership status, with different patterns emerging for the two dimensions of Europeanization. In mutual observation between EU member countries, Western European countries get the bulk of attention but this can be explained by their bigger size, not by a particular neglect of the East or by the duration of EU membership. In conclusion, more theory-driven explanatory research on country differences in news reporting is advocated.