Source Diversity and Newspaper Enterprise Journalism

Newspaper stories that win or are submitted to win Pulitzer or other enterprise journalism awards are less likely to use official or government sources than are regular stories. This content analysis of 60 enterprise stories finds only about four of ten sources are government officials, compared with Sigal's finding of up to nearly eight of ten in regular news coverage in major newspapers. Instead, enterprise stories use more ordinary people—with or without an official affiliation—as well as individuals representing labor or other special interest groups. Even so, the study speculates that the press could meet the model of using diverse sources in a pluralistic society even better.