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Article published In: Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict
Vol. 11:2 (2023) ► pp.145–175

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Journalistic practice in the international press corps

Adversarial questioning of the Russian President

ORCiD logo with link | UCLA, United States
Published online: 13 April 2022
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlac.00076.com
Abstract
This paper investigates what form journalistic questioning takes within the international press corps when representatives of different press systems work in close proximity. Within the U.S. context, adversarial questioning is valued as a key resource to ensure an independent press. Yet independent journalism is not universally upheld in media systems worldwide; Russian officials have explicitly criticized adversarial reporting by Western journalists in their coverage of Russian affairs. Questions posed to Russian Presidents Putin and Medvedev in G8/G20 press conferences 2000–2015 were assessed for two indicators: (a) initiative, and (b) critical content, with the aim to determine whether journalistic practice will converge in an international context, and whether the rise in adversarialness documented within U.S. presidential press conferences parallels a more general international phenomenon. Findings show a significant increase in both indicators over time and by presidential term. Questioning practices exhibited by Russian, non-Western, and Western journalists are discussed.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Initiative
      • 3.1.1Question complexity
      • 3.1.2Preface complexity
    • 3.2Critical content
      • 3.2.1Content polarity
      • 3.2.2Polarity structure
      • 3.2.3Adversarialness type
  • 4.Analysis
    • 4.1Collective trends within the G8/G20 press corps
      • 4.1.1Question complexity
        • Preface complexity
      • 4.1.2Content polarity
      • 4.1.3Polarity structure
      • 4.1.4Adversarialness type
    • 4.2Regional differences and trends within the G8/G20 press corps
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Note
  • References
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