Transparency in German Newsrooms: Diffusion of a new journalistic norm?

As a journalistic norm transparency has gained institutional acceptance in the United States. However, comparatively little is known about the extent to which news organizations in other national contexts have adopted this norm. This paper explores how transparency, as an innovation in journalism, has been diffused, i.e. perceived and possibly implemented, in German newsrooms. Interviews with 17 journalists from leading German news organizations indicate that although certain forms of openness have been conceptually adopted, transparency is far from being embraced as an innovation nor institutionally implemented, indicating that the adoption of an innovation such as transparency remains contingent on national contextual factors.