Politics and Media in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly: A Centennial Research Retrospective

Based on computerized and manual content analyses, we examined the theories, methods, topics, and authors' backgrounds of the empirical articles revolving around politics and media published by Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (JMCQ) in its 100 years (N = 424). The most common theories are agenda-setting, framing, and selective exposure, and quantitative methods prevail with single-country studies being more prevalent than comparative analyses. A considerable portion of research has focused on political news, particularly during campaigns. Male, U.S.-based authors dominate, but female-authored work has increased in the past decade. Challenges remain to make the research on politics and media in JMCQ more generalizable globally.

Automated summary

Based on computerized and manual content analyses, this study examines the theories, methods, topics, and authors' backgrounds of empirical articles on politics and media published in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (JMCQ) over the course of its 100-year history (N = 424). The findings indicate that agenda-setting, framing, and selective exposure are the most common theories utilized, with quantitative methods being dominant and single-country studies more prevalent than comparative analyses. The research primarily focuses on political news, particularly during campaigns. Male and U.S.-based authors are predominant, but there has been an increase in female-authored work in recent years. Challenges remain in terms of enhancing the global generalizability of research on politics and media in JMCQ.