Library and the Media – Analysis of How Libraries Are Presented in the Print Media

Abstract

This analysis encompasses the articles on the topic of libraries in the time period from 2003 to 2018, published across five daily print media (the Politika daily, the Danas daily, the Blic daily, the Vecernje novosti daily and the Kurir daily) as well as two weekly news magazines (Vreme and NIN). The above mentioned print media were selected for the analysis as having the most readers in Serbia and also as the media that were continuously published in the given time period. Besides, taking into consideration all the differences among the editorial policies, ownership structures and the versatile social structure of the readership the above mentioned media were addressing, we have tried to include the widest possible range of reporting on libraries, and in doing so, to provide a more detailed overview of the media coverage on libraries. The method of quantitative-qualitative analysis of the media discourse was used as the research method. For the purpose of the analysis the following eight categories were created: 1) exact print media, 2) the year of publication, 3) cause\occasion, 3) location\venue, 5) authorship of the article, 6) value context, 7) value context of the journalist towards the text and 8) the number of readers’ comments and reactions. The research is to be seen from two perspectives; the first part encompassing the analysis of the press releases created by the libraries themselves which are then distributed to the print media for their transmission as well as discussion on what approach the libraries...