Gatekeeping

CORE DEFINITION

Gatekeeping theory, also known as the gatekeeper theory, is a communication theory that originated from psychologist Kurt Lewin's concept of the "gatekeeper." Later, D.M. White extended the research and introduced the idea of "gatekeeping behavior," which refers to the process by which news media filter and edit a large amount of information obtained from sources. The criteria for selecting information are determined by the gatekeepers themselves. Research by Berkowitz (1991) found that television gatekeepers carefully select and claim that producing good news programs is their "instinctive" decision. Berkowitz found that so-called "news judgment" or "news values" influence gatekeepers. McCombs and Becker (1979) also found that work roles can have an influence within gatekeeping, and organizational positioning and resources also affect the selection of news topics. Current gatekeeping theory has developed extensively, encompassing individual, organizational, and societal levels. Marxist perspectives argue that media are controlled by large corporations, and therefore gatekeeping behavior is influenced by upper management. While gatekeepers serve to filter news for the audience, they also act as agents for capitalists, selecting the information they want the public to know.