Journal of Mass Communication & Journalism

Moralism, Constructivism, Relativism: Identifying and Describin g the Approaches of Research on Scandal

Abstract

Baugut P

Scandals are an inherent part of our society and therefore explored by different academic disciplines. The enormous diversity in approaching the phenomenon of scandal exacerbates its systematization, which has not yet taken place in an inter-subjective, understandable manner by using distinctive features. Our study aims at closing this gap by identifying and describing four approaches in research on scandal: the group of “mediaoriented constructivists”, “strategic constructivists”, “society-oriented moralists”, and “internet-oriented relativists”. In part, these approaches differ substantially in recognizing the causes, the process, the functions or the evaluation, respectively, of scandals. Additionally to fundamental differences, this study brings to light the commonalities, connecting factors and blind spots of the different approaches.