The distances of cultural intermediation

Specialized journalistic critique versus popular taste

Authors

  • Manuel García-Borrego Universidad de Málaga

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37467/revhuman.v20.4951

Keywords:

Cultural journalism, Specialization areas, Literature, Popular culture, Critique, Media, Goodreads

Abstract

This article studies the differences between the judgment of cultural journalists and the taste of readers by applying a content analysis to the “books of the year” recommended by the main Spanish supplements (‘ABC Cultural’, ‘Babelia’, ‘Cultura|s’ and ‘El Cultural’) between 2010 and 2020 (n=1,133), and comparing these listings with the ratings of ‘Goodreads’ users. The selected works receive a modest average score (7.3) —only 0.2% of them can be considered “outstanding”—, which shows the existing (although decreasing) distance between public and critics, especially when the variables of nationality and gender of the author are taken into account.

References

Barei, S. (1999). Periodismo Cultural: crítica y escritura. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 23. http://www.revistalatinacs.org/a1999bno/15silvia.html DOI: https://doi.org/10.12795/Ambitos.1999.i02.04

Bisbal, M. (2001). De cultura, comunicación y consumo cultural. Una misma perspectiva de análisis. Zer, 6(10). https://ojs.ehu.eus/index.php/Zer/article/view/6098

Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Routledge.

Carrasco-Molina, S., & García-Borrego, M. (2020). Periodismo cultural, rutinas profesionales y percepciones sobre la industria de los medios: el caso de la especialización en literatura. In J. Sotelo-González & J. Gallardo-Camacho (Coords.), Comunicación especializada: historia y realidad actual (pp. 537-556). McGraw-Hill.

Chong, P. (2017). Valuing subjectivity in journalism: Bias, emotions and self-interest as tools in arts reporting. Journalism, 20(3), 427-443. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884917722453 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884917722453

Deuze, M. (2005). What is Journalism? Professional Identity and Ideology of Journalism Reconsidered. Journalism, 6(4), 442-464. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884905056815 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884905056815

Federación de Gremios de Editores de España (2021). Hábitos de lectura y compra de libros 2020. https://www.federacioneditores.org/lectura-y-compra-de-libros-2020.pptx

Forde, E. (2003). Journalists with a difference: Producing music journalism. In S. Cottle (Ed.), Media Organisations and Production (pp. 113-130). SAGE. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446221587.n7

Garbisu, M. (2019). Periodismo y literatura. In M. Garbisu & I. Blanco (Coords.), Periodismo cultural (141-176). Centro de estudios financieros.

Garbisu, M., & Blanco, I. (Coords.) (2019). Periodismo cultural. Centro de estudios financieros.

García-Borrego, M., Gómez-Calderón, B., & García-Cardona, J. (2022a). La (in)visibilización de la mujer en la prensa especializada en literatura: un análisis de la presencia de las escritoras en los suplementos culturales españoles. El Profesional de la información.

García-Borrego, M., Gómez-Calderón, B., & García-Cardona, J. (2022b). ‘Gender gap’ en el periodismo especializado en literatura: explorando la visibilización de la mujer a través del caso de ‘Babelia’. In H. M. Sánchez-Gonzales (Ed.), La digitalización en el periodismo: Transformación, retos y oportunidades (pp. 196-212). Gedisa.

Giddens, A. (1992). The Transformation of Intimacy. Stanford University Press.

Hanusch, F. (2012). Broadening the Focus. The Case for Lifestyle Journalism as a Field of Scholarly Inquiry. Journalism Practice, 6(1), 2-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2011.622895 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2011.622895

Hanusch, F. (2017). Journalistic roles and everyday life. Journalism Studies. Journalism, 20(2), 193-211. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2017.1370977 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2017.1370977

Harries, G., & Wahl-Jorgensen, K. (2007). The Culture of Arts Journalists. Journalism, 8(6), 619-639. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884907083115 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884907083115

Hellman, H., & Jaakkola, M. (2012). From aesthetes to reporters: The paradigm shift in Finland. Journalism, 13(6), 783-801. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884911431382 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884911431382

Hovden, J. F., & Knapskog, K. (2015). Doubly Dominated. Journalism Practice, 9(6), 791-810. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2015.1052214 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2015.1052214

Hovden, J. F., & Kristensen, N. N. (2021). The cultural journalist around the globe. A comparative study of characteristics, role perceptions and perceived influences. Journalism, 22(3), 689-708. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918791224 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918791224

Janssen, S., Kuipers, G., & Verboord, M. (2008). Cultural globalization and arts journalism. American Sociological Review, 73, 719-740. https://doi.org/10.1177/000312240807300502 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/000312240807300502

Janssen, S., & Verboord, M. (2015). Cultural Mediators and Gatekeepers. In J. D. Wright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (pp. 440-446). Elsevier. https://repub.eur.nl/pub/78003/ DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.10424-6

Janssen, S., Verboord, M., & Kuipers, G. (2011). Comparing cultural classification. High and popular arts in European and U.S. elite newspapers, 1955‐2005. Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie Und Sozialpsychologie, 63(51), 139-168. http://hdl.handle.net/1765/41392

Jurado-Martín, M. (2019). La sección Cultura hoy: De las descripciones teóricas a la realidad práctica. Estudio de caso de medios impresos en España. Observatorio, 13(2), 142-166. https://doi.org/10.15847/obsOBS13220191393 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15847/obsOBS13220191393

Kovács, B., & Sharkey, A. J. (2014). The paradox of publicity: How awards can negatively affect the evaluation of quality. Administrative science quarterly, 59(1), 1-33. https://doi.org/10.1177/0001839214523602 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0001839214523602

Kristensen, N. N. (2019). Cultural journalism—Journalism about culture. Sociology Compass, 13(6), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12701 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12701

Kristensen, N. N., & From, U. (2015a). Cultural Journalism and Cultural Critique in a changing Media Landscape. Journalism Practice, 9(6), 760-772. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2015.1051357 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2015.1051357

Kristensen, N. N., & From, U. (2015b). From ivory tower to cross-media personas: The heterogeneous cultural critic in the media. Journalism Practice, 9(6), 853-871. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2015.10513 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2015.1051370

Published

2023-03-08

How to Cite

García-Borrego, M. (2023). The distances of cultural intermediation: Specialized journalistic critique versus popular taste. HUMAN REVIEW. International Humanities Review / Revista Internacional De Humanidades, 20(5), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.37467/revhuman.v20.4951