Look Who's Talking : Use of Sources in Newspaper Coverage in Sweden and the United States

Even though we live a global world cross-cultural comparisons of journalism practice remain rare. This study analyzed the use of sources in newspaper coverage in Sweden and the United States. Rather than focusing on one single event, the comparison utilizes data from three different events: the 2003 Iraq War, the 2002 national election in Sweden and the 2004 presidential election in the United States, and the 2005/2006 international controversy stemming from the publication of the Mohammad Cartoons. Some patterns across the three events emerged for the use of government officials, academic experts and citizens as sources but not for other types of sources. The findings are discussed in the context of news reporting and journalism within a distinct national political and media system.