Experts in the News: The Differential Use of Sources in Election Television News

This article examines the use of news sources in mainstream television coverage of a Canadian election and considers these findings within the context of broader studies on the significance and role of sources in election news. Using content analysis, it considers the type, nature, and functions of sources in election reporting and pays particular attention to the competing theories of the use of sources in news discourse. Through a review of the type, length, and frequency of sources, a more media-centric theory of source use emerges. It is suggested that rather than "primary definers" or "political entrepreneurs," sources often function as mere "symbolic representations" of an already framed story in election discourse.