Revisiting the Hierarchy of Influences on Journalism in a Transitional Context: When the Social System Level Prevails.

Abstract

In this article, we use Shoemaker and Reese’s hierarchy of influences (HOI) model as a framework to investigate the ways in which Egyptian journalists perceive the influences exerted on them in the context of post-Arab Spring transition. Our findings show that perceptions of limitations to journalism practice can extend to all levels in the hierarchy of influences model, and that journalistic autonomy is particularly impeded due to factors at the social systems level. This leads to an adaptation of the HOI model as we find that the perceived closure of the public sphere and a complicated network of clientelism at the social system level has impacted journalism practice negatively in Egypt and has a wider influence on the rest of the four levels in the model. In other words, routines, individuals, organizations, and social institutions all seem to mediate the social system’s influence on journalistic behavior. These findings are discussed in light of research on journalism in transitional contexts.