Formats and Genres: Collecting formal variables during content analysis

Abstract

When researchers analyze journalistic media, they usually select and categorize a sample of different sources. Usually this process includes defining the formats as well as genres of the content that is analyzed. This is normally done before the actual coding process. Both variables refer to manifest categories, provide important information about the analyzed content and are widely used: Especially for journalistic, non-fictional content of print, broadcast or online media, on which we focus in this chapter.