Explaining Variability in Newspaper Design: An Examination of the Role of Newsroom Subgroups

Abstract

Variability in newspaper design is typically thought to reflect changes in the paper's economic environment as well as wider cultural trends. The present study proposes an additional factor: the relative influence of the design subgroup, conceptualized as an “occupational subgroup” with its own distinct knowledge base, norms, and values. The analysis was conducted within the context of higher-level predictors of design variability, including organizational size, corporate size, and newspaper competition. Findings from a national survey of newspaper organizations show that professionally judged design quality is most strongly predicted by size of the newspaper, and prominence of graphics is best explained by relative influence of the design subgroup. It appears graphical prominence is shaped most by the political effectiveness of designers, and design quality is more greatly determined by the consequences of size, such as level of resources and degree of specialized expertise.