Papers by Sandrine Boudana
European Journal of Communication, 2014
In May 2011, IMF chief and French presidential contender Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested on s... more In May 2011, IMF chief and French presidential contender Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested on sexual assault charges and forced to do the ‘perp walk’ in New York. The French press vividly criticized this shaming ritual, thus triggering reactions of defense, but also of self-questioning, in the American press. This study evaluates the extent to which the French criticism led the American press to show distance from the norms of its own national community. It contends that, in our age of globalized information, shaming rituals, which served to legitimate the dominant order, can now generate what Shani Orgad called ‘estrangement’.
Comparing Journalistic Role Performance Across Thematic Beats: A 37-Country Study
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
Studies suggest that, at the routine level, news beats function as unique “micro-cultures.” Explo... more Studies suggest that, at the routine level, news beats function as unique “micro-cultures.” Exploring this “particularist” approach in news content, we compare how the interventionist, watchdog, loyal, service, infotainment, and civic roles materialize across 11 thematic news beats and analyze the moderating effect of platforms, ownership, and levels of political freedom on journalistic role performance in hard and soft news. Based on the second wave of the Journalistic Role Performance (JRP) project, this article reports the findings of a content analysis of 148,474 news items from 37 countries. Our results reveal the transversality of interventionism, the strong associations of some topics and roles, and the limited reach of news beat particularism in the face of moderating variables.
Objective: To describe the management strategy for a multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella urinary... more Objective: To describe the management strategy for a multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella urinary tract infection (UTI). Case Summary: A 69-year-old Caucasian woman with a past medical history of recurrent UTIs and a right-lung transplant presented with fever to 101.4°F, chills, malaise, and cloudy, foul-smelling urine for approximately 1 week. She was found to have a MDR Klebsiella UTI that was sensitive to tigecycline and cefepime. To further evaluate the degree of resistance Etest minimum inhibitory concentrations were requested for cefepime, amikacin, meropenem, and ertapenem. The patient received a 14-day course of amikacin, which resulted in resolution of her symptoms. One month later, the patient's UTI symptoms returned. The urine culture again grew MDR Klebsiella, sensitive only to tigecycline. Fosfomycin was initiatedand resulted in limited resolution of her symptoms. Colistin was started, however, therapy was discontinued on day 5 secondary to the development of acute kidney injury. Despite the short course of therapy, the patient's symptoms resolved. Discussion: The case presented lends itself well to numerous discussion items that are important to consider when determining optimal treatment for MDR Gram-negative bacilli (GNBs). Susceptibility testing is an important tool for optimizing antibiotic therapy, however, automated systems may overestimate the susceptibility profile for a MDR GNB. Treatment strategies evaluated to treat MDR GNB, include combination therapy with a carbepenem and synergy using polymyxin. Conclusion: We have described the management strategy for a MDR Klebsiella UTI, the consequences of the initial management strategy, and potential strategies to manage these types of infections in future patients.
How iconic news images travel: republishing and reframing historic photographs in Israeli newspapers
Journal of Communication
Iconic photographs are symbolically dense images characterized by broad circulation over time and... more Iconic photographs are symbolically dense images characterized by broad circulation over time and recognition by large publics. Following this definition, we track the republication and reframing, over nearly 70 years, of 15 news photographs previously identified as most recognized by the Israeli public. Distinguishing between “discrete icons” (singular photographs of particular scenes) and “aggregate icons” (where several variants of the same event are continually reproduced), our quantitative and qualitative analyses show that iconic images are both resistant to the passing of time and kept in motion through renewed media use. We identify four “iconic modalities,” corresponding to different ways in which iconic status and meanings are achieved, transformed, or denied through republishing and reframing. This concept improves our understanding of iconicity as a fluctuating material and symbolic process, whereby the circulation of images not only produces shifts in meaning, but const...
What you google is where you are from: Power and proximity in the global information flow of online searches
The Information Society, 2022
You Must Remember This: Iconic News Photographs and Collective Memory
Journal of Communication, 2018
The International Journal of Press/Politics, 2017
This paper explores how provocation narratives introduce political bias in international news. It... more This paper explores how provocation narratives introduce political bias in international news. It is based on a two-step methodology. First, a network analysis of country co-mentions in American, British, French, and German news corpus shows that core countries (e.g., the United States) and their opponents (e.g., North Korea, Russia, Iran) are the most frequently cited in provocation narratives. Focusing on the case where provocation narratives are the most prominent, the Korean conflict, we then employ a quantitative content analysis to identify the relationships between the countries involved in news stories using provocation narratives, and the role played by the provocation in those news stories. Our findings show that bias is introduced in many instances where journalists, while repeatedly identifying one country, North Korea, as the provocateur, omit key information such as the reasons behind North Korea’s provocations or the identity of the provoked country. This indicates th...
Media, Culture & Society, 2017
Iconic photographs possess broad social and symbolic significance, are widely replicated over tim... more Iconic photographs possess broad social and symbolic significance, are widely replicated over time and circulated across media platforms, and fuel public discussion. In an era of digital memes, they have become generative resources for memetic performances that not only can draw on these images’ historic authority but can also undermine it. Based on the analysis of the ‘Accidental Napalm’ memes, our research leads to a fourfold taxonomy, from memes that expand or expound the meaning of the original picture to those that narrow and potentially destroy its significance. Assessing Hariman and Lucaites’ contention that appropriations of iconic images enhance civic engagement and public culture, we argue that some memes may actually dissolve the original significance of iconic photographs and potentially degrade, rather than enhance, public culture.
The language of objectivity: Reuters’ internal editorial discussions on terminology in the Arab–Israeli conflict, 1967–1982
Journalism, 2016
Influenced by British journalistic traditions, Reuters is a global news agency embracing impartia... more Influenced by British journalistic traditions, Reuters is a global news agency embracing impartiality as a corporate norm rather than a professional standard. This impartiality, reflected in a careful choice of vocabulary, is meant to satisfy all of Reuters’ subscribers. However, our study of Reuters’ archives demonstrates that this corporate objectivity is not an absolute principle, but the subject of internal debates and tensions, often provoked by subscribers’ reactions to particular news items. This is especially so in the case of the long-lasting and highly demanding coverage of the Arab–Israeli conflict. Focusing on the 1967–1982 period, when the internal debates at Reuters proved to be particularly tense, our archival research revealed that discussions between the London headquarters and the Middle East offices revolved around four major issues, which are the focus of this article: (1) emotive wording, (2) naming of borders and capitals, (3) use of the term ‘Palestinian’ and ...
Controversial Cartoons in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Cries of Outrage and Dialogue of the Deaf
The International Journal of Press/Politics, 2016
This article analyzes the controversies triggered by sixteen cartoons about the Israeli-Palestini... more This article analyzes the controversies triggered by sixteen cartoons about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, published in nine western countries between 2001 and 2014. For this, we use E.D. Hirsch’s distinction between the meaning of a text—which refers to the author’s intentions—and its significance—which emphasizes the contexts of production and reception. Critics focused mostly on significance, defenders on meaning. Using this distinction, we first examine the rhetoric of cartoons: stereotypes linked to antisemitism (accusations of deicide and blood libel), use of the Star of David as metonym of Israel, disputed historical analogies (between Israeli policy and Nazism or Apartheid). Second, we analyze four levels of contextual interpretations that have framed the debates: the cartoon as genre, the ethotic arguments about the cartoonist and/or newspaper’s track record, the cartoons’ historical and transnational intertextuality (especially with the Arab press), and the issue of aud...
Not just a joke: The ‘quenelle’ as a running gag masking anti-Semitic communication
European Journal of Cultural Studies, 2015
Invented by French comedian Dieudonné and interpreted as an anti-Semitic gesture, the ‘quenelle’ ... more Invented by French comedian Dieudonné and interpreted as an anti-Semitic gesture, the ‘quenelle’ is a running gag with worldwide circulation in public settings and social networks. This case confronts us with the challenge posed by the use of humor as a cover for racist communication. Rejecting the options of political ban and media boycott as inefficient, this article examines two alternative strategies discussed in the French public sphere: One remains in the realm of humor and consists of joking back, while the other attempts to unmask the political significance of the quenelle behind the meaning that its producers claim to give it. This article draws on theories of disparagement humor and hermeneutics to propose strategic responses to those using humor as cover for denigration and vilification.
‘Le spectateur engagé’: French war correspondents’ conceptions of detachment and commitment
Journal of European Studies, 2014
Studies that measure journalists’ detachment from the object of their investigation generally pre... more Studies that measure journalists’ detachment from the object of their investigation generally predefine ‘detachment’ as professionalism. This is challengeable when it comes to French journalism, which is rooted in political and literary traditions, especially in fields such as war correspondence. Interviews with 13 French war correspondents help us grasp their own conceptions of detachment/commitment. The study shows that this crucial issue refers to the journalists’ self-perceptions of their own role and place in society. Three roles appear to be close to the journalistic profession: the righter of wrongs, the storyteller and the educator. The first part of the paper examines the degree of involvement implied by each of these roles. The second part analyses the journalists’ place in society defined in terms of distance from other actors: whereas political detachment is endorsed as a professional attitude, emotional involvement is considered unavoidable and sometimes mandatory. The ...
The Journalistic Referents: A Crucial Distinction Between Sources and Voices
The Communication Review, 2009
This study emphasizes the significance of a functional distinction between two categories of jour... more This study emphasizes the significance of a functional distinction between two categories of journalistic referents: the ‘sources’ who are at the origin of the information and the ‘voices’ who react to the news. Drawing examples from the French press coverage of the Second Intifada, the paper analyzes the problems raised by fallacious shifts from the role of source to that
A definition of journalistic objectivity as a performance
Media, Culture & Society, 2011
Historically, journalism as a profession emerged alongside the notion of objectivity. However, in... more Historically, journalism as a profession emerged alongside the notion of objectivity. However, in the past decades, objectivity has been dismissed not only as an unattainable standard but also as an undesirable norm. Yet an analysis of the criticisms reveals that most scholars actually fail to define journalistic objectivity. This article tries to remedy this flaw and to suggest that journalistic objectivity is an evolving notion which can no longer be considered a synonym for neutrality or detachment. Objectivity is a standard that promotes truth, defined as a ‘correspondence, grounded in correctness, between thought and reality’ (Heidegger, 1943:1). Unlike alternative standards which are centered on personal moral values, objectivity conceives of journalism as a performance, with this term referring to three interrelated dimensions: the essential notion of practice, the existence of concrete and universal criteria of evaluation, and the openness to criticisms.
Communication Theory, 2017
Despite multiple uses, the concept of provocation is undertheorized and underinvestigated. Theori... more Despite multiple uses, the concept of provocation is undertheorized and underinvestigated. Theorizing provocation narratives as communication strategies, this article shows that what is at stake in provocations are crucial issues of intentionality, accountability, and blame. While some provocations elicit reactions that are beneficial to the parties involved, others may incite violence. The second part of our study focuses on the latter because of their potential for shifting blame to victims. To deconstruct the mechanism by which provocation introduces this type of bias, we use Labov's method of narrative analysis and apply it to two news items. We conclude on how provocation can serve as a theoretical framework and methodological tool for narrative analysis in many communication contexts and fields.
Provocation narratives in Chinese and US newspapers
Semantic Network Analysis in Social Sciences
Book Review: Stories Without Borders: The Berlin Wall and the Making of a Global Iconic Event by Julia Sonnevend
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
eyes” metaphorically represents the peculiar disposition of the eyes of Black journalists, who na... more eyes” metaphorically represents the peculiar disposition of the eyes of Black journalists, who narrate a reality where they must orient their behaviors in the face of a professionalizing process that restricts Black subjectivity and mobility. Lewis’s interviewees hold nothing back in explaining how they negotiate, call out, resist, and even acquiesce to the racial, gendered, and heterosexual hierarchies of the professional newsroom culture. Some asserted that White media owners and upper level management conform to White supremacist standards of beauty, requiring Black on-air talent to use cosmetics that lighten their skin tone and to contour their noses, while appealing to White cultural norms of thinness. Some expressed outright anger with image consultants who asked them to straighten their hair because those in upper level management viewed African hairstyles and textures as unprofessional. Others openly lamented the impunity of autocratic news directors who verbally abuse female journalists. Still, some Black journalists believed that it is best to assimilate to White cultural norms of the newsrooms, and chose to “play their cards”—or emphasize difference—once they had achieved success in their careers. Lewis also provides readers with rare access to the inner workings of so-called weekend “ghetto shows,” and to the policing of gay and lesbian bodies. She points out, most importantly, the hypocrisy in television news media, where objectivity means reinforcing a White heteronormative male universality rather than simply reporting what is seen. Lewis views the Black body as an “empty canvas” where White media owners, managers, and producers inscribe their own professional standards with the dripping ink of Whiteness. Lewis concludes with a discussion on how the “Obama phenomenon” created a schism between the racialized experiences of Black journalists and the myth of postracialism circulating in the television newsroom. This phenomenon obscures oppressive conditions of working in society as postracial frames become universal appeals about all of us. Although there are many other examples and stories in this book attesting to how Blacks are heavily scrutinized as they overcome oppressive modalities operating in the television news industry, I was left pondering about the evolution of race-transcendent Black media icons who involuntarily become extensions of racial apathy. Black journalists from Jayne Kennedy, to Bryant Gumbel, to Gwen Ifill and Oprah Winfrey overcame obstacles and paved the way for their contemporaries such as Tamron Hall, Don Lemon, and Pam Oliver. Yet Lewis reminds us that the path to racial equality is always under construction as people of color must carry around the invisible weight of Whiteness.
From life and exact sciences to social sciences and the humanities, much research in many fields ... more From life and exact sciences to social sciences and the humanities, much research in many fields involve drawing comparisons. The same applies to the field of journalism studies, implicitly or explicitly. Implicit comparative research refers to situations where no direct claim is made regarding comparisons. Controlled experiments are a case in point. For example, when a communication researcher shows viewers different ver- sions of the same newscast and tests for their comprehension of the news, comparative research is involved. More generally, the logic behind statistical testing of hypotheses is derived from the notion of comparative research. On the other hand, explicit comparative research involves situations in which researchers declare their goal to be making comparisons.
This encyclopedia specifies five key terms regarding journalism studies: (a) journal- ism, (b) journalism studies, (c) journalists, (d) news, and (e) audiences for journalism. While the first two are overall terms, the last three can be seen as a tripartite frame- work of comparative studies. Comparative studies on journalists refer to the production process, the work performed by individual journalists and editors, their practices, professional norms, values, and culture. This also includes specific media organizations in which journalists operate, taking account of political, economic, and legal factors as well as, more broadly, the structure and functioning of national and international media systems. Studies on news refer first and foremost to the contents of the main genres produced by journalists in various platforms, in both traditional media (news- papers, radio, and television) and what are considered to be new media (the Internet, smartphones, and social media). These studies deal with a variety of concepts, such as hard versus soft news, elite versus tabloid, national versus local news, domestic versus foreign news, and framing of news. Finally, the rubric of audiences for journal- ism refers to the consumers of journalism products and encompasses studies dealing with exposure to and interest in the media, the impact and effects of journalism con- tents on individual and group attitudes, opinions, comprehension, reception, knowledge, and worldview, including agenda setting. While acknowledging that in certain contexts audiences are also news producers (e.g., blogs and Facebook) this tripartite framework is still largely relevant for examining most comparative studies published to date.
"Known for being known," iconic photographs are widely circulated and symbolically powerful image... more "Known for being known," iconic photographs are widely circulated and symbolically powerful images that catalyze public discussion and are etched into the fabric of collective memory for succeeding generations-or so the literature postulates. Based on a multi-method research (including focus groups and a national survey), our study aimed to identify the most prevalent domestic-Israeli and foreign (non-Israeli) iconic news photographs that are recognized by the Israeli public, and to expose key features of their place in Israeli collective memory. We found that only a handful of images were recalled by a majority of people. These are images of conflict, trauma and triumph, which inspired mostly emotional reactions, especially among the eldest, who also demonstrated higher recognition scores. This article examines what such differences in recognition and reactions between photographs and between groups of individuals mean for theories of collective memory and the presumed mnemonic power of visual media.
Despite multiple uses, the concept of provocation is undertheorized and underinvestigated. Theori... more Despite multiple uses, the concept of provocation is undertheorized and underinvestigated. Theorizing provocation narratives as communication strategies, this article shows that what is at stake in provocations are crucial issues of intentionality, accountability, and blame. While some provocations elicit reactions that are beneficial to the parties involved, others may incite violence. The second part of our study focuses on the latter because of their potential for shifting blame to victims. To deconstruct the mechanism by which provocation introduces this type of bias, we use Labov's method of narrative analysis and apply it to two news items. We conclude on how provocation can serve as a theoretical framework and methodological tool for narrative analysis in many communication contexts and fields.
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Papers by Sandrine Boudana
This encyclopedia specifies five key terms regarding journalism studies: (a) journal- ism, (b) journalism studies, (c) journalists, (d) news, and (e) audiences for journalism. While the first two are overall terms, the last three can be seen as a tripartite frame- work of comparative studies. Comparative studies on journalists refer to the production process, the work performed by individual journalists and editors, their practices, professional norms, values, and culture. This also includes specific media organizations in which journalists operate, taking account of political, economic, and legal factors as well as, more broadly, the structure and functioning of national and international media systems. Studies on news refer first and foremost to the contents of the main genres produced by journalists in various platforms, in both traditional media (news- papers, radio, and television) and what are considered to be new media (the Internet, smartphones, and social media). These studies deal with a variety of concepts, such as hard versus soft news, elite versus tabloid, national versus local news, domestic versus foreign news, and framing of news. Finally, the rubric of audiences for journal- ism refers to the consumers of journalism products and encompasses studies dealing with exposure to and interest in the media, the impact and effects of journalism con- tents on individual and group attitudes, opinions, comprehension, reception, knowledge, and worldview, including agenda setting. While acknowledging that in certain contexts audiences are also news producers (e.g., blogs and Facebook) this tripartite framework is still largely relevant for examining most comparative studies published to date.