About

The Journalistic Role Performance Project (JRP) is a cross-national, theory-driven endeavor established in 2013 to systematically analyze the state of journalistic cultures in the new media landscape across the world.

The main goal of our project is to examine how various dimensions of professional roles are reflected in the news across different organizational, institutional, and social contexts. At the same time, our study seeks to address the disconnect between professional and normative ideals and actual journalistic practices. By doing so, we aim to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how journalistic roles are performed and the extent to which they align with—or diverge from—established ideals.

Under that umbrella, our project provides scientific knowledge and empirical information to researchers, students, practitioners, the media, as well as international institutions, to help them understand the complexities of the profession.

Thanks to the efforts of prestigious scholars, the JRP project has achieved remarkable milestones over the past two waves.

• The first wave (2013-2018) examined the performance of professional roles in print news and investigated the gap between journalistic ideals and actual practice across 18 countries. 

• The second wave (2019-2024) focused on how journalistic roles materialize in print, online, radio, and television news in 37 countries, as well as the impact of journalists’ characteristics and attitudes on the performance of various journalistic roles.

Building on earlier iterations of the study, the current Third Wave of the project (2025–2029) examines global news landscapes by comparing the presence of various journalistic roles in current affairs news across television, radio, print, and online platforms, aiming to understand the influence of different media platforms and diverse media systems on journalism practices worldwide. 

Our consolidated network currently includes participants from 59 countries, 86 international universities, 126 academics, and approximately 100 students from the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania, representing a range of political and economic systems.

This third wave builds upon the advancements made in the first and second waves, incorporating findings, methodologies, and knowledge developed over the years through our collaborative efforts.

The project continues its mission to address long-standing issues explored in the field such as the nature of journalism provided by public service media, the factors that enable or hinder the watchdog function of the press, the evolving forms of political infotainment, the increased interventionism in news reporting, and the place of civic journalism in a saturated news environment.

In doing so, we aim to enhance the project’s theoretical and empirical contribution to understanding how factors such as newsroom culture, editorial policies, ownership structures, market pressures, and levels of political freedom, amongst other factors, influence journalistic practices and content around the world.

In Canada, for the third wave, there are 11 sites of study from English and French media: The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, La Presse, CBC.ca, globalnews.ca, CBC Radio’s Your World at Six, Radio Canada’s l’heure du monde, CTV National News, CBC’s The National, and TVA Nouvelles.

For analysis, journalistic roles are divided into six dimensions. The first is the interventionist role, where a journalist self-inserts into the narrative by taking a side or promoting an action. The second and third roles consider power relations — the watchdog’s role includes critiquing the government, while the loyal facilitator supports government narratives. The last three roles examine the relationship a journalist has with its audience: in the service role, journalists cover anything from consumer tips to food and health recommendations; in the infotainment role, reporters create content that is designed to entertain, and does not always inform; and finally, in the civic role, coverage centres on the perspectives and rights of citizens.

Meet the Team

Researchers

Research Assistants

Research Assistant Alumni