Journalistic practices in the presidential press conferences in Argentina

Abstract

Press conferences are a public instance where governmental sources discernably contact journalists for them to access public information. In Argentina, since the beginning of the century most of the presidents have restricted press conferences and have arbitrary decided when to offer or not. This circumstance configures a peculiar case to explore the impact of the absence of press conferences on journalistic practices. Comparing the style of journalists’ questions during press conferences of two administrations (years 2007-2019) show more similarities than differences. The analysis shows low levels antagonism and criticism from journalists to both presidents, in a context where expressiveness predominates, as journalists alternately make statements before questions and pose more than one. Preliminary conclusions confirm the value of this approach to study the impact of the restrictions on press conferences on journalistic culture.