“Why The H**l is There a White House Correspondents’ Dinner?” Boundary Work in Political Journalism

Gregory P. Perreault, Kellie Stanfield, Shelby Luttmann

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Political journalism is a pertinent part of newsrooms across theworld. This study aimed to analyze the shifting role conceptionsof U.S. political journalists, primarily in reference to the WhiteHouse Correspondents’Dinner. Researchers conducted 32 long-form phone interviews with political journalists from news outletsranging from theLos Angeles Timesto VICE. The study found mostjournalists uncomfortable with the White House Correspondents’Dinner, especially after the response to Michelle Wolf’s speech atthe 2018 event. This particular event helped journalists identifyhow the event works in opposition to their role conception.Through the lens of boundary work, this study argues the comedyformat of the dinner, which ceased following 2018, pushedoutside the boundaries of what is considered appropriatejournalistic practice within thefield.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalJournalism Practice
Volume14
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Political Journalism
  • Boundarywork
  • White House Correspondents’ Dinner
  • Roleconception
  • Qualitativemethods
  • Objectivity
  • Audience Feedback
  • Local Journalism

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