Between Trust and Suspicion: How Political Journalists Solve the Dilemma

This article deals with the news gathering activity of Italian political journalists. Their interaction with information sources develops within a framework of constant ambivalence between trust and suspicion. Political journalists resolve this ambivalence through a problem-solving activity which implies a phase of negotiation with politicians and then a discussion with colleagues to verify their interpretation of the situation. From this derives a model of journalism which is strongly interpretative and closer to commentary than to news reporting. After a discussion of the theoretical and methodological basis, the article highlights the Italian environment — the places, routines and roles — within which the political journalism is carried out.