Journalistic Roles in Light of Populism : How German Public Service Media Representatives Discuss Their Coverage of Populists and How They Perceive Their Role

Kurzfassung/Abstract

Public service media (PSM) face a democratic dilemma when covering right-wing populism: They are expected to be impartial and ensure pluralism in their reporting. This requires them to give visibility to a range of views, including those of far-right parties, while safeguarding democratic principles such as non-discrimination and human dignity. In this context, it is essential to understand how PSM representatives reflect on their reporting of right-wing populism. Drawing on the concept of journalistic roles, this study examines PSM representatives’ narrated role performance and role orientation in reporting on populism. Based on semi-structured interviews with twenty-six German PSM representatives, the findings reveal that journalists perceive past reporting mistakes and partly believe that PSM have contributed to the rise of populism. Regarding their role orientation, PSM representatives emphasize that they do not wish to exclude populist actors from coverage unless they make anti-constitutional statements, a stance they justify by the democratic election of these figures. More broadly, PSM representatives take on three distinct role orientations when reporting on populism: as disseminators, they aim to provide neutral coverage of events; as watchdogs, they seek to critically scrutinize populist actors; and as educators, they strive to inform the public about problematic developments within populist parties. Against the backdrop of the growing support for the German populist party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), this study contributes to existing research by proposing a conceptual framework for reporting on populism and offering qualitative insights into how PSM representatives navigate their role in covering the AfD.