Organizational response to media reporting

Abstract

This study formulates a theory of discrepancy in communication between organizations and news media. Gaps between organizational versions of reality and journalist's versions of reality may be caused by disagreements on the salience, selection and interpretation of issues affecting organizations. Organizational structures, values, interorganizational dependency and evaluations of organizational credibility and legitimacy also may contribute. In 20 case studies, variables hypothesized to contribute to discrepancy are examined in relationship to news articles written about those organizations.