Chapter 10

Gatekeeping: A Critical Review

Karine Barzilai-Nahon

University of Washington

Introduction

Gatekeeping refers broadly to the process of controlling information as it moves through

a gate or filter (Barzilai-Nahon, in press) and is associated with exercising different types of

power (e.g., selecting news, enforcing the status quo in parliamentary committees, mediating

between professional and ethnic groups, brokering expert information). The literature on

gatekeeping is fragmented in terms of epistemologies, theories and models, vocabularies,

heuristics, and research challenges both within and between disciplines and fields. This happens

because discourse on the topic of gatekeeping is conducted within each discipline, in relative

isolation. In spite of an extensive literature, few comprehensive reviews are to be found. This

chapter follows in the footsteps of two such reviews (Metoyer-Duran, 1993; Shoemaker, 1991).

It offers a systematic review that explores the main trends and analytical frameworks relating to

gatekeeping in the literature from 1995 to 2007 in eight fields: library and information science

(henceforth information science), communication, law, management of information systems,

management, political science, public affairs, and sociology. The review demonstrates the lack of

analytical tools to respond to two important phenomena: the dynamism of gatekeeping and

essential role of those subjected to a gatekeeping process. Network Gatekeeping Theory is a

contextualizing move to highlight research threads in the literature through these two missing

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prisms. This new framework is a platform to help researchers develop and further refine

questions for an improved understanding of gatekeeping.

Past Theories of Gatekeeping (1946–1995)

The concept of gatekeeping is well explored, starting with its evolution in the mid-

twentieth century, and covers many fields of research and practice (Bass, 1969; Lewin, 1951;

Schultze & Boland, 2000; Sturges, 2001; Tushman & Katz, 1980). Lewin (1947, 1951), the

creator of the concept, looked at gatekeepers through psychological lenses, researching how and

why the food habits and activities of families differed. He noted that, in the groups he examined,

housewives controlled the decision-making process related to food habits and activities by

creating behavioral barriers and incentives; Lewin referred to these housewives as gatekeepers.

The concept subsequently took on different flavors and theories were developed mainly in the

fields of communication, management of technology, information science, and later political

science. Each discipline and field emphasized different components in the conceptualization of

gatekeeping. The next four sections introduce the premises and foundations put in place by each

field.

It is important at this stage to specify the boundaries of the study. Gatekeeping is a

ubiquitous and diverse phenomenon, which can be observed in many daily activities. This

chapter deals only with information sources that studied gatekeeping explicitly. By drawing

directly upon concepts that surround gatekeeping, scholars exhibit the importance and centrality

of the gatekeeping phenomenon to their research. Therefore, research that dealt with the

phenomenon only implicitly was excluded. Areas of research that discuss gatekeeping implicitly

include, for example: scholarly publishing (Clemens, Powell, McIIwaine, & Okamoto, 1995),

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impact factor (Garfield & Sher, 1963), the role of brokers in organizations (Wenger, 2000),

knowledge discovery (Davenport & Hall, 2002), selective dissemination of information, agenda

setting (Hammond, 1986; McCombs & Shaw, 1972), search engines and channeling information

(Introna & Nissenbaum, 2000), and cognitive models of thinking (Kahneman, Slovic, &

Tversky, 1982).

Communication Theories

Theories developed in studies of communication and journalism looked primarily at

gatekeepers as selectors or human information filters (e.g., editors, gatherers). Although

presenting varied theories, Shoemaker (1991, p. 1) defined gatekeeping as follows: “Simply put,

gatekeeping is the process by which the billions of messages that are available in the world get

cut down and transformed into the hundreds of messages that reach a given person on a given

day.” Ten years later Shoemaker admitted a broader concept of gatekeeping: “However, the

gatekeeping process is also thought of as consisting more than just selection. … In fact,

gatekeeping in mass communication can be seen as the overall process through which social

reality transmitted by the news media is constructed, and is not just a series of ‘in’ and ‘out’

decisions” (Shoemaker, Eichholz, Kim, & Wrigley, 2001, p. 233). Thus, theories of

communication focused mainly on the process of gatekeeping and identifying the prominent

factors that influence it.

Theories assuming individual factors (e.g., personal judgment) as the major determinant

of gatekeeping (Snider, 1967; White, 1950) were among the first evaluated. For example, White

(1950) suggested a simple model to explain the selection process in newspapers and argued that

news items were rejected for three reasons: personal feelings of the gatekeeper, insufficient

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space, and whether the story had appeared previously. Scholars who followed these theories

emphasized personality characteristics (Johnstone, Slawski, & Bowman, 1972; Livingston &

Bennett, 2003; Weaver & Wilhoilt, 1986) or the influence of the gatekeeper’s moral and

normative values on the decision-making process (Gans, 1979). Focusing on individual factors

often entailed relying on external cognitive models of thinking (Hewes & Graham, 1989;

Kahneman et al., 1982; Snodrass, Levy-Berger, & Hayden, 1985) and external decision-making

models (Wright & Barbour, 1975).

The second wave of theories in communication studies focused on what Shoemaker

(1991) labeled routine and organization level theories. These included internal contexts to the

organization, such as theories that emphasize the effect of organizational characteristics on

gatekeeping (Bass, 1969; Dimmick, 1974; Westley & MacLean, 1957); routines that establish

the working procedures of gatekeepers (Sigal, 1973); and established industry benchmarks

(Davison & Yu, 1974; Galtung & Ruge, 1965). This wave also includes theories that concentrate

on external constraints to and motivators of routines to gatekeeping, such as cost and time

constraint models (Galtung & Ruge, 1965; Jones, Troldahl, & Hvistendahl, 1961), mechanical

production models (Gieber, 1956), and technology absence factors (Livingston & Bennett,

2003).

As more theories and models of gatekeeping appeared, scholars began to investigate

gatekeeping as an act of agenda setting and change in society. These investigations fostered the

development of theories focusing on the institutional and social environment, which, among

other things, discuss the impact of group consensus on gatekeeping (Bantz, 1990), how market

pressures affect gatekeeping (Donohue, Olien, & Tichenor, 1989), models of newsworthiness

(Shoemaker et al., 2001), and cultural impact theories (Galtung & Ruge, 1965). Finally, some

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scholars were interested in the characteristics of messages themselves and developed information

characteristics theories that explore how visual factors (Abott & Brassfield, 1989) and the size,

number (Gieber, 1956), and clarity (Galtung & Ruge, 1965) of messages affect editors’ decisions

about whether and how to include messages in the media. To summarize, most communication

theories have viewed gatekeeping as the process of controlling the entry of messages into the

gatekeeper’s space.

Management and Technology Theories

Gatekeeping theories in the field of management and technology are monolithic in the

sense that they emerge and branch out from one main meta-theory, the technological gatekeeper.

The concept, first introduced by Allen (1966) in his dissertation and developed and expanded

later by Allen and others (Allen, 1977; Allen & Cohen, 1969; Allen, Piepmeier, & Cooney,

1971; Gerstberger & Allen, 1968), was mainly inspired by Katz and Lazarsfeld’s (1965) studies

of opinion leaders and how they affect many of life’s activities. Unlike Katz and Lazarsfeld,

Allen allowed gatekeepers to be more than formally designated opinion leaders and emphasized

the role of informal gatekeepers. Allen (1977) identified three characteristics of gatekeepers and

the stakeholders who interact with them: (1) The gatekeeper is a high technical performer, (2)

most gatekeepers are first-line supervisors, and (3) gatekeepers are those whom technical

management generally recognizes as having such a role.

Tushman and Katz (1980, p. 1071) continued developing this direction of research and

were interested in improving communication across organizational boundaries in R&D

organizations and in finding ways to understand the role of gatekeepers as “key individual(s)

who are both strongly connected to internal colleagues and strongly linked to external domains.”

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Tushman and Katz distinguished between gatekeeping and boundary spanning, claiming that a

gatekeeper must be strongly connected both internally and externally but boundary spanners are

connected only externally. Some scholars, particularly those in the current management

literature, treat gatekeepers as boundary spanners and vice versa, blurring the distinction between

the two concepts (Pawlowski & Robey, 2004; Schultze & Orlikowski, 2004). Subsequently, the

concept was applied to particular contexts in R&D management such as human resources issues

(Katz, Tushman, & Allen, 1995) and technology alliances (Soh & Roberts, 2005).

In general the literature in this area either concentrated on developing a set of parameters

to identify technological gatekeepers (Allen, 1977; Myers, 1982; Schultze & Boland, 2000) or

used existing parameters to comprehend how gatekeepers affect the flow of information,

business processes, and sub-units’ communication in organizations. A focus on either intra-

organizational or cross-organizational contexts is a particular weakness of these models. Another

limitation is the lack of variation among the different models from the one originally suggested

by Allen. Finally, the focus is solely on the gatekeeper and not on other actors who may affect

gatekeepers’ interactions. Most of the literature in communication studies treats the gatekeeper

as a selector, one who protects the walls and gates; management studies tend to view gatekeepers

as breaking walls or crossing boundaries in order to connect and facilitate.

Information Science Theories

The field of library and information science embraced the gatekeeping subject only after

it was already well rooted in communication and management. Similar to communication

studies, information science is also rather fragmented, encompassing many different theories and

meanings relating to gatekeeping. However, unlike communication, information science also

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borrowed some of its theories and vocabularies from other fields (the editorial gatekeeper from

communication [Glogoff, 1988] and the technological gatekeeper from management [Allen,

1969; Wilkin, 1977]) and applied these concepts to information science. Examples include

studying the editorial review process in academic journals (Glogoff, 1988) and investigating the

role of the technological gatekeeper outside the R&D world, such as in the information

technology profession or academia (Cronin, 1982; Klobas & McGill, 1995). Other variations on

both managerial and communication concepts of gatekeeping were used in exploring the role of

librarians as gatekeepers from a selection or intermediary perspective (Chamberlain, 1991;

Sturges, 2001).

Most of the theories coming from communication and management are vertical because

they explore questions within the context of a certain profession or organization. For example,

“How do editors/gatekeepers affect public opinion?” is a profession-bound question that focuses

on editors. Two streams of theories in information science challenged these conventions. The

first, cultural theories of gatekeeping, concentrated on identifying gatekeepers in communities

and understanding their roles. As with the editor and technological gatekeeper theories, its roots

came from outside the information field. Norman Kurtz (1968) defined gatekeepers as

individuals who move between two cultures to provide information that links people with

alternatives or solutions. The strength of such a model is the conceptualization of gatekeepers’

linkage roles in communal and social networks (Booth & Owen, 1985) and the illumination of

other roles they may have in communities; for instance: how to identify gatekeepers (e.g., as

preserving cultural ethos and symbols, as key individuals who help in the political and social

lives of communities) (Kurtz, 1968; Metoyer-Duran, 1993; Tricarico, 1986); understanding

gatekeepers’ roles in the exchange and use of information (Shannon & Magdaline, 1973);

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exploring specific cases of ethnic groups (Borowiec, 1975; Metoyer-Duran, 1991). This stream

has had limited impact because it focuses only on ethnic communities (e.g., African-Americans,

Latinos, Polish Americans) and such a focus sometimes lies outside the scope of traditional

information science journals.

The second stream, information seeking models, is tightly connected with the cultural

stream, making it hard to differentiate between the two. Information seeking models place a

greater emphasis on the information needs and services of a community and the role of

gatekeepers in fulfilling those needs; the cultural stream emphasizes the gatekeeping role in the

community over community information needs. Some scholars apply a hybrid information-

culture approach to gatekeeping, arguing that information-seeking behavior should be viewed

within the context of the individual’s cultural experience (Chatman, 1985; Metoyer-Duran, 1991,

1993). In this context, gatekeepers are analyzed as agents who disseminate information in their

community for acculturation purposes. Still, the focus on gatekeepers within information science

is on their role within ethnic communities.

Communication studies focus on questions of gatekeeping within the context of

professions and organizations. Information science examines ethnic communities in which

gatekeepers serve as disseminators. Information science’s contribution to gatekeeping research is

the conceptualization of gatekeepers as being immersed in communities whose voice they

represent.

Political Science Theories

With few exceptions, the political science literature is very much focused on

understanding gatekeeping in democracies, using game-theory methods. Gatekeeping was first

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formalized by Denzau and Mackay (1983) and referred to the political behavior of legislature

committees that sought to maintain the status quo. The idea is that one of the principal powers of

a committee is its ability to veto proposals within its jurisdiction. McCubbins, Noll, and

Weingast (1994, p. 18) agree and assert that “in each chamber of Congress, at least one

subcommittee and one full committee have gatekeeping rights in that a bill normally will not be

considered by the entire legislative body until it has been approved in committee.” Researchers

have analyzed these rules and equilibria in other places, such as the European Community

(Fitzmaurice, 1988; Lenaerts & Van Nuffel, 1991). This literature is considered non-mainstream

in political science and in some instances finds its way into law journals. Unlike in other fields,

gatekeeping in the 1980s and 1990s was only beginning to establish itself in political science,

which had a narrow interpretation of the term.

1995–2007: Studying the Current Gatekeeping Literature

The major objective of this chapter is to provide a consolidated view of current literature

on gatekeeping, reflect on trends, and suggest a starting point for further theorizing. For this

purpose key journals in eight disciplines and fields from 1995 to March 2007 were studied. Table

10.1 provides the list of journals systematically scrutinized, their ranking, and the number of

articles containing a gatekeeping concept. The following considerations were followed: (1)

Priority was given to currently published journal ranking reports generated by experts in a

particular field (the fields of information science [IS] and management of information systems

[MIS] are examples). (2) When no ranking was available within a certain discipline or field, the

study used ISI’s Web of Knowledge to establish the number of citations and used this as the

basis for comparing the journals. (3) If neither of these two measures existed (e.g., as in law and

society), a panel of experts in the field was consulted to determine journal rankings.

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Table 10.1 Gatekeeping articles in journals (March 2007, 1995)

Number of Percent of total

Field Journal Total articles
Journal title Rank articles with GK articles with GK
abbr. published
presence presence
Information Journal of the
Science1 American Society
JASIST for Information 2 27 1230 2.2%
(Info Sci) Science and
Technology
LQ Library Quarterly 4 7 808 0.9%
Annual Review of
ARIST Information Science 3 0 83 0.0%
and Technology
Total Information Science articles 34 2121 1.6%

Management Information
ISR 2 4 366 1.1%
Information Systems Research
Systems2 Journal of the
Association for
(MIS) JAIR 9 3 119 2.5%
Information
Systems
MISQ MIS Quarterly 1 16 479 3.3%
Total MIS articles 23 964 2.4%

Management Academy of
AMJ Management 2 18 1045 1.7%
Journal

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(Mgmt) Academy of
AMR Management 4 10 977 1.0%
Review
Management
MS 1 19 2004 1.0%
Science
Total Management articles 47 4026 1.2%

Political Science American Journal of

AJPS 1 21 723 2.9%
Political Science
(Poli Sci)
American Political
APSR 2 34 3479 1.0%
Science Review
British Journal of
BJPS 8 5 413 1.2%
Political Science
Total Political Science articles 60 4615 1.3%

Communication3 Communication
CR 3 2 344 0.6%
Research
(Comm)
Information
ICS Communication and - 4 333 1.2%
Society
Journalism and
Mass
JMCQ 12 76 1739 4.4%
Communication
Quarterly
NMS New Media Society 29 16 380 4.2%
Total Communication articles 98 2796 3.5%

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Law and Society4 Journal of Legal
JLS 3 10 314 3.2%
Studies
(Law)
Law and Social
LSI 2 29 507 5.7%
Inquiry
Law and Society
LSR 1 18 499 3.6%
Review
Total Law articles 57 1320 4.3%

Public Affairs Administration and

A&S 11 14 504 2.8%
Society
(Pub Aff)
Administrative
ASQ 3 17 881 1.9%
Science Quarterly
Journal of Public
Administration,
JPART 1 7 466 1.5%
Research, and
Theory
Public
PAR Administration 5 16 1415 1.1%
Review
Total Public Affairs articles 54 3266 1.7%

Sociology American Journal of

AJS 2 20 2916 0.7%
Sociology
(Soc)
American
ASR 1 22 819 2.7%
Sociological Review
SF Social Forces 4 38 1826 2.1%
Total Sociology articles 80 5561 1.4%

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 Total journal articles 453 24669 1.8%
1. See Scholegl and Stock (2004).
2. See Pfeffers and Tang (2003).
3. Journals ranked by ISI impact factor and expert panel.
4. Journals ranked by expert panel.

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 Out of a total of 24,669 articles in eight disciplines for the twelve-year period, 453 (2

percent) focused on or made reference to gatekeeping (see Table 10.1). Communications and law

and society have the largest number. However, we need to consider the degree of emphasis on

gatekeeping in individual articles. For this purpose, articles explicitly including gatekeeping

concepts were categorized1 according to the depth of treatment:

• Analysis: Articles that include a full analysis of gatekeeping.

• Factor: Gatekeeping is a factor within the study, but not a large component.

• Mention: Gatekeeping is only mentioned in the study.

• Book review: Gatekeeping is included in a book review.

• Commentary/editorial: Gatekeeping is included in a commentary or editorial.

• Citation: Gatekeeping is included in the references.

Using these categories, we find that of the 453 articles only a small number deals with the

subject in depth. Table 10.2 presents the distribution of the various types of gatekeeping

presence. Only twelve (3 percent) of all the articles mentioning gatekeeping analyzed the concept

thoroughly (Analysis) and only eighteen articles (4 percent) used gatekeeping as a factor

(Factor). This shows that gatekeeping concepts are mainly used for the purpose of articulating

ideas or to serve as metaphors to characterize a certain state, rather than for a fully developed

theoretical framework.

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Table 10.2 Type of gatekeeping presence by field of study

Type of Gatekeeping Presence

Commentary/ Total
Field of Study Analysis Factor Mention Book review Citation
editorial
Comm 4 3 60 16 15 98
Info Sci 3 3 19 5 3 1 34
Law 1 43 5 8 57
MIS 2 16 3 2 23
Mgmt 4 34 7 2 47
Poli Sci 2 3 42 2 10 1 60
Pub Aff 1 50 1 2 54
Soc 2 2 53 7 15 1 80
Total by type 12 18 317 36 63 7 453

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 The percentage of articles on a topic may reflect how important a certain topic is within a

field. Communication and law and society journals appear to show most interest in gatekeeping

(see Table 10.1). The picture changes when we take into account the depth of treatment (the

factor and analysis types of articles in Table 10.2). As we discuss later, these disciplines also

have the highest level of fragmentation in conceptualizing gatekeeping. The fragmentation of

discourse may indicate an attempt to challenge a hegemonic theoretical framework (for example,

the editorial framework in communication). It may also reflect intellectual uncertainties

stemming from unsound theories or the inapplicability of these theories, given changes in the

environment (for example, the interactivity of the Internet may necessitate some

reconceptualization of editorial gatekeeping).

Another interesting fact illuminated by Table 10.2 is that MIS, management and public

affairs do not have articles that fully analyze the concept of gatekeeping, yet do have some

utilizing gatekeeping as a factor in a larger study. Did these fields fail to produce new theoretical

frameworks for gatekeeping in the years 1995 to 2007? Deeper analysis shows that these three

are not the only fields that did not contribute new theories on gatekeeping during this era. Later

we discuss the reasons for, and implications, of this situation.

Gatekeeping Rationales

Interesting questions to explore include the following: Are there new conceptualizations

of gatekeeping in the current literature? If so, what they are? Which research paths did these

fields take in recent years? To address these questions, we examined individual articles to

identify the motivation or rationale underlying the appearance of gatekeeping concepts in the

literature. Table 10.3 summarizes the results.

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Table 10.3 Rationale of gatekeeping conceptualization

Gatekeeping Description
rationale
Access Providing or preventing access to a service, status, or position that includes a level of
screening to determine one’s suitability for passage, and assignment to a designated
category. Used to control participation, inclusion/exclusion.
Editorial A particular type of Access: Processes of selection used by journal editors, reviewers, and
the news media to identify works to be published and disseminated. Often associated with
power to define how field of study progresses, or what items are newsworthy. (Crane,
1967; Shoemaker, 1991)
Protection Regulating information coming from outside and its distribution in order to protect
members of the network or the information. (Metoyer-Duran, 1993)
Preservation A particular type of Protection: Mediating and controlling information for the sake of
of culture preserving core values, norms and continuity of a social network, community, and culture.
(Metoyer-Duran, 1993)
Change agent Engaging either deliberately or whose behavior results in social, cultural or behavioral
change—this is usually done by agenda setting or shaping and changing preferences and
views. (Katz & Lazarsfeld, 1965)

There are two dominant rationales (see Table 10.4): the notion of editorial gatekeeping

(similar to the traditional concept in communication studies) and gatekeeping for the sake of

preservation of culture. Preservation of culture served as one of the main theories in information

science in years past but it has since become marginalized. The current literature instead

emphasizes the editorial meaning of gatekeeping borrowed from communication. At the same

time, preservation of culture did become the main attention driver over other representations of

gatekeeping for social science disciplines such as political science, public affairs, and sociology.

Table 10.4 summarizes all types of gatekeeping rationales in articles that treated the concept of

gatekeeping.

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Table 10.4 Rationale for gatekeeping by field of study

Field of Study Total per category

Gatekeeping category Comm Info Law MIS Mgmt Poli Pub Aff Soc
Sci Sci
None 15 3 8 3 7 10 2 15 63
Access 3 1 17 1 7 6 17 52
Change agent 12 1 1 1 3 2 5 25
Disseminator 3 5 2 7 1 4 3 25
Editorial 52 10 1 7 9 3 5 5 92
Facilitator 6 11 2 7 3 10 10 49
Linking 2 2 2 5 6 1 18
Preservation of culture 9 4 8 3 6 30 14 15 89
Protection 4 3 9 2 5 3 5 9 40
Total per field 98 34 57 23 47 60 54 80 453

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Key Questions and Definitions of Gatekeeping

Table 10.2 showed that the concept of gatekeeping is still used as a metaphor, symbol, or

illustration mainly for the purpose of articulating ideas rather than as a stand-alone theoretical

framework. In the next section, attention is directed to the analysis of those articles that make in-

depth reference to gatekeeping (analysis and factor type articles), a total of 30 articles (see Table

10.5).

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Table 10.5 Gatekeeping rationale by field for analysis and factor items

Field of Study
Category Poli Total
Comm Info Sci Law MIS Mgmt Pub Aff Soc
Sci
Access 1 1 2
Change agent 1 2 3
Disseminator 1 1 2
Editorial 4 1 1 6
Facilitator 3 2 1 6
Linking 1 1 1 3
Preservation of culture 3 2 2 7
Protection 1 1
Total 7 6 1 2 4 5 1 4 30

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 The analysis revealed several trends: Law and society used facilitator and access most

frequently for purposes of illustration (see Table 10.4) but the in-depth articles concentrated on

the linking notion (see Figure 10.1). Surprisingly, access was used rarely for in-depth analysis

purposes. Finally, some disciplines focused on only one main aspect of gatekeeping. For

example, public affairs and law deal only with linking and MIS focused only on facilitator.

Figure 10.1 Gatekeeping rationale by field for analysis and factor articles

The fragmentation phenomenon observed in earlier research is also reflected in the

current literature, as shown in Figure 10.1. Gatekeeping is treated in various ways in

communication and information science (for example, information science looks at the

categories of disseminator, editorial, facilitator, and linking as the rationale for analysis). What

does this fragmentation mean? What are the main research questions in the current literature?

Are there narratives shaping gatekeeping research within and across the fields? If so, what are

those narratives? Do gaps exist in how scholars currently treat gatekeeping?

To answer these questions, Table 10.6 first offers a micro-level insight into the different

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gatekeeping definitions and research questions in each article. This is followed by a within-field

analysis and then a cross-field analysis of themes. The cross-field examination is of particular

importance because it entails searching for patterns that may serve as common denominators for

breaking disciplinary boundaries.

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Table 10.6 Overview of articles studying gatekeeping in depth

Field Author, date Category Gatekeeping definition from article Key questions

“Gatekeeping, the decision-making process editors

use to choose stories, is a basic and powerful force
1. How do editors
because it is essentially the way sports editors shape
[gatekeepers] make
readers’ integrated views of social reality.
decisions?
Comm Hardin, 2005 Editorial Gatekeeping is affected by a number of factors,
2. Do gatekeepers refer to
including values, organizational norms and routines,
reader interests?
personal beliefs and experiences, and ideology. …
Audiences may also influence gatekeeping, although
scholars debate how or to what degree.” (p. 65)
What are the roles of PR
Leichty &
practitioners?
Springston, “Decisions as to what information to pass along and
Disseminator (gatekeeping is one of
1996 whom to pass it to” (p. 469)
these roles in a larger
study)
“Building on sociologist Kurt Lewin’s proposal that a
How does the gatekeeper
Singer, 2001 person or group with some power decides what passes
Editorial role change due to the
through the ‘gate’ and thus is able to become part of
Internet?
general knowledge.” (p. 66)

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 “Gatekeeping is the process by which the vast array of
potential news messages are winnowed, shaped, and
prodded into those few that are actually transmitted by
the news media. … However, the gatekeeping process Is newspaper gatekeeping
Shoemaker et is also thought of as consisting of more than just influenced more from a
al., 2001 Editorial selection, to include how messages are shaped, timed routine level of analysis
for dissemination, and handled. In fact, gatekeeping in or individual
mass communication can be seen as the overall characteristics?
process through which the social reality transmitted
by the news media is constructed, and is not just a
series of ‘in’ and ‘out’ decisions.” (p. 233)
“The Internet defies the whole notion of a ‘gate’ and
challenges the idea that journalists (or anyone else)
can or should limit what passes through it. At the How does the gatekeeper
Editorial same time, the sheer quantity of information online, role change due to the
along with its wildly varying quality, reinforces the Internet?
Singer, 2006b need for someone to sort it out as well as to lend it
credibility and, ideally, utility.” (p. 265)
“By selecting which public affairs stories will be
Althaus &
reported and by giving special prominence to some Does new media set
Tewksbury,
Change Agent stories, the news media suggest which people, issues, agenda differently from
2002
and events are especially deserving of public traditional media?
attention.” (p. 180)
What are the roles of PR
practitioners in an
Based on definition from Leichty and Springston
Internet world?
Protection (1996): “decisions as to what information to pass
(gatekeeping is one of
along and whom to pass it to” (p. 469)
Porter & Sallot, these roles in a larger
2003 study)

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 “Gatekeepers, individuals who promote
communication of technical and professional
Klobas & information by gathering it from a wide range of
Info Sci How to identify a
McGill, 1995 Disseminator sources and disseminating it widely to their
gatekeeper?
colleagues” (p. 581). “We propose that gatekeepers
can be identified primarily by the extent of their
information dissemination activity.” (p. 582)
“Relations between scientific ideas and their
consumers or audiences are typically mediated
through social mechanisms that provide institutional
Braun &
channels for the flow of ideas. These channels, in How can we better
Dióspatonyi,
Editorial turn, are controlled by organizations or persons who understand the process of
2005
control the admission of manuscripts, i.e., they are selection?
gatekeepers of ideas inasmuch as they are empowered
to make decisions as to what is let ‘in’ and what is
kept ‘out’.” (p. 854)
Based on definition from Katz and Tushman (1979).
“‘technological gatekeeper’ or boundary-spanner on What factors contribute
whom project groups rely heavily for information and to failures of
who contributes to an organization’s effectiveness by communication during
filtering and channeling external technology and the process of data
Robbin & Frost-
Facilitator information into the organization (Katz & Tushman, production and data
Kumpf, 1997
1979). The boundary-spanner serves as a mediator utilization? (analyzing
between ‘organizational colleagues and the world gatekeepers’ role and
outside and effectively couples the organization to how they can improve
scientific and technological activity in the world at their role)
large’ (Allen, 1970, p. 192)” (p. 104)

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 Gatekeepers “direct inquiring individuals to the
documents that they are most likely to need. Because
the gatekeepers are usually individuals who use, or
have used, the information that they possess, they are
also usually able to interpret or explain the meaning
of that information, that is, how it is used by the
organization. Second, if they do not have the
What is the importance
documents an inquirer wants they can often direct
Blair, 2002 of gatekeepers in context
Facilitator him/her to another gatekeeper who is more likely to
of communities of
have them. Finally, because the storage of paper
practice?
documents has an explicit cost, the gatekeepers will
be selective about what they keep, and will often
weed out and discard documents that are no longer
useful. This makes it more likely that social
information networks will provide access to
information that is useful for the purposes of the
organization.” (p. 1024)
“Gatekeepers are defined as information
intermediaries who move between cultures, linking
1. How to identify a
their community members with alternatives or
gatekeeper?
solutions (Kurtz, 1968). … As intermediaries, they
2. What are their
Agada, 1999 Linking mediate between formal and informal networks
information needs?
(Booth & Owen, 1985); public agencies and ethnic
3. What are their
citizens (Borowiec, 1975); and their cultural
information sources?
communities and the dominant society (Duran,
1977).” (p. 75)

10-26
 “Gatekeepers are emergent leaders who decide which
pieces of code get stored in the community and which
How to augment current
don’t. Gatekeepers or trusted developers maintain a
knowledge management
Awazu & quality of knowledge stored (von Krogh, Spaeth, &
Facilitator practices? (gatekeeping is
Desouza, 2004 Lakhari, 2003). Gatekeepers help knowledge transfer
one of the factors that
over time by contributing to the timely update of
facilitates this process)
knowledge and making it immediately available to
others.” (p. 1018)
Gatekeeping activities described as those of Silicon
Valley law firms “determining which clients get
access to which investors, and vice versa.” (p. 698)
“Gatekeeping activities such as these help to establish
Suchman & How do gatekeepers
normative boundaries around the Silicon Valley
Law Cahill, 1996 Linking shape the market of
community, albeit perhaps at the risk of stifling
financing start-ups?
structural innovation. … In essence, gatekeeping
moderates the uncertainty of anonymous market
relations, protecting the cultural underpinnings of the
local economy.” (p. 699)
“Studies of the gatekeeper role in research and
development teams highlight the importance of How to better understand
Pawlowski &
MIS individuals who gather and translate information from gatekeeper-gated
Robey, 2004 Facilitator
other departments and disperse it to fellow team relations in order to
members (Katz & Allen, 1985; Katz & Tushman, explain IT usage?
1981; Tushman & Katz, 1980)” (p. 648)

10-27
 “Gatekeeper brokers engage in an alliance or
affiliation with another actor to mediate exchanges
with a third party. … In the gatekeeper brokerage How to better understand
Ulrike Schultze model, the broker’s interests tend to be aligned with the role of IT
& Orlikowski, Facilitator the customer or buyer. As a gatekeeper, the broker professionals as
2004 gathers information from a third party and knowledge brokers
manipulates it (e.g., through aggregation, filtering, [gatekeepers]?
sorting, and editing) before distributing selective
content to the customer.” (pp. 89–90)
How does the review
A gatekeeping role “filtering out information deemed process of journals
Beyer, Chanove, Preservation of
unworthy from that deemed worthy of dissemination [gatekeeping] affect the
& Fox, 1995 Culture
(de Grazia, 1963).” (p. 1219) fate of submitted
manuscripts [of gated]?
How do gatekeepers
Shumsky & “Many service systems are arranged with a front line
perform a routing of a
Pinker, 2003 Facilitator of gatekeepers who refer jobs to a stable of experts.”
customer?
(p. 839)

How do supervisors
Mgmt
R. Katz et al., “Gatekeepers are those key technical professionals [gatekeepers] impact the
Preservation of
1995 who are strongly networked to both internal and ability of technical
Culture
external sources of critical information.” (p. 850) subordinates [gated] to be
promoted?
1. What are the problems
that gatekeepers may face
Pollack &
“The choice of specific projects or endeavors to fund in a decentralized
Zeckhauser, Preservation of
is delegated to decision-makers in subunits, context?
1996 Culture
individuals we refer to as gatekeepers.” (p. 642) 2. Can one assess
distortions in
gatekeepers’ decisions?

10-28
 Are human rights and
democracy significant
“The first stage is a ‘gatekeeping’ stage in which
determinants in the
policymakers make a decision about whether a
Blanton, 2000 Access decision to transfer arms
country is eligible to receive any U.S. arms at all.” (p.
abroad? (gatekeeping as a
124)
decision is the multi-
stage process]
Who should set the
Gatekeeping “refers to the people’s ability to check agenda? (suggesting the
Putterman, 2005
Change Agent others who frame the legislative agenda on their gated should switch roles
behalf.” (p. 147) with gatekeepers)

“Throughout I follow Putterman in using the term

Poli Sci In absence of agenda-
‘agenda-setting’ to refer to the power of legislative
setting institution, how
Scott, 2005 Change Agent initiative, although this power is more properly a form
does one aggregate
of ‘gatekeeping,’ which is merely one form of
preferences?
‘agenda-setting.’” (p. 138)
“The committee may exercise gatekeeping authority
Preservation of How agenda should be
Krehbiel, 1997 to keep in effect an exogenous status quo, or it may
Culture set?
propose a bill.” (p. 924)
“The committee with gatekeeping power (G) chooses
What would be a better
whether to propose remedial legislation” (p. 29).
voting behavior model by
“Briefly, the committee-gatekeeping model resembles
Segal, 1997 Preservation of supreme court? [the
the Ferejohn/Shipan (1990) model and explicitly
Culture gatekeeper is a small
allows the respective Judiciary Committee’s median
factor, mainly exploring
preference to differ from that of its parent chamber.”
the way it operates]
(p. 35)
“Allen (1977) found that individuals with more
informal contacts outside the organization, or What is the importance
Obstfeld, 2005
Pub Aff Linking ‘gatekeepers,’ were critical for importing novel of gatekeepers’ role as
information and linking the organization with its linkers?
environment. These gatekeepers effectively serve as

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 the primary link to external sources of information
and technology (R. Katz & Tushman, 1981)” (pp.
100–101)

“Selection bias involves media gatekeepers’ (e.g., How social movements

Smith,
editors’) choices of a very small number of protest [gated] influence the way
Soc McCarthy,
Editorial events to report from a much larger pool of events issues are framed by
McPhail, &
which could be reported. That selection is part of the mass media
Augustyn, 2001
media’s agenda setting role.” (p. 1400) [gatekeepers]?
“Gatekeeping, as a social scientific concept, can be
traced to Lewin’s (1947) writings on social planning.
He observed that the most efficient way to bring about
widespread social change is to concentrate on persons How can we better
in key positions of influence, who function as understand the social
Clayman &
Preservation of ‘gatekeepers’ in the flow of goods and ideas through practices of the
Reisner, 1998
Culture the society. Lewin viewed the societal impact of assessment process
gatekeepers as a matter of ‘group dynamics,’ and [gatekeeping]?
hence he saw gatekeeping as a basic problem for
sociology. At the same time, however, he conceived
of the gatekeeping process itself in individualistic and
psychological terms.” (p. 178)
“Cultural gatekeepers, those who determine which How does representation
Pescosolido, images will be available to the public, may be of Blacks in books in the
Preservation of
Grauerholz, & influenced by racial tensions in society. We argue that U.S. [gatekeeping]
Culture
Milkie, 1997 what these gatekeepers promote influences future represent cultural
symbolic representations.” (p. 445) change?

10-30
 “Parties play an important gatekeeping role in What are the ways
political systems (Caul, 1999; Kunovich, 2003; political parties
Kunovich & Sanbonmatsu, 2002). [gatekeepers] mediate
Access
Paxton, 2005 Political parties make decisions about what candidates and interact with factors
to field and how much support to give them (e.g., that affect representation
through placement on party lists).” (p. 520) of women [gated]?

10-31
Literature Review (1995–2007): A Within-Field Analysis

Communication

Some recurrent patterns are evident in current communication studies research. First,

there is a focus on the editorial connotation of gatekeeping associated with one of the field’s core

professions, journalism. With few exceptions (Singer, 2001, 2006b), gatekeepers in journalism

are perceived as an integral part of the elite. In other fields, however, they are perceived as part

of a larger community consisting of the gated—those subjected to gatekeepers’ controls—and

gatekeepers themselves. The main unit of analysis is the individual gatekeeper with a latent

communal perspective, in this case, the editor’s community. Thus, the unit of analysis does not

rise above the individual level and gatekeepers are seen as part of a collective, institution, or

corporation. When concentrating on new technologies and changes to information practices,

most studies use traditional frameworks of gatekeeping—ignoring the role of those gated,

including their power and impact on the process. The recurrent theme suggests that gatekeepers

construct and change social reality and therefore act as political agents. For example, Shoemaker

and colleagues (2001, p. 233) refer to this process as “social reality transmitted by the news

media (that) is constructed.” Hardin (2005, p. 65) acknowledges that “it is a powerful force

because it is essentially the way sport editors shape readers’ integrated views of social reality.”

This is in contrast to the traditional literature that conceptualized gatekeepers as neutral

stakeholders, concentrating mainly on procedures and processes.

Information Science

The main trend in information science according to within-field analysis is the absence of

a dominant framework or theory and fragmentation of the notion of gatekeeping. Yet, the

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concept has evolved within information science, which initially borrowed its theoretical

frameworks from other disciplines. A differentiating semantics of the editorial rationale has

evolved over the years due to a dialogue between the fields of communication and information

science. Thus, the semantics of scholarly editors emphasize the quality and superiority of

information artifacts entering the gatekeeper’s network (e.g., articles chosen to be published)

controlled by constraining gates of publication (Braun & Dióspatonyi, 2005; Kling, Spector, &

McKim, 2002). In communication studies, quality is perceived as one factor among many others

in framing the editorial gatekeeper; for example, the need to reach out to the largest audience is

the principal consideration and, therefore, quality in some cases suffers at the expense of

popularity (Bennett, 2004).

Furthermore, current literature on gatekeeping in information science tends to distance

itself from enculturation theories of gatekeeping, such as those of Metoyer-Duran (1991) and

Duran (1977). Scholars do not see the benefit of enculturation theories to contexts where

gatekeeping involves selection, dissemination, or mediation of information use in organizational,

professional, or individual contexts; these are applied mainly in cases where ethnic, off-line

communities are analyzed and the linkage to cultural context is a given (Agada, 1999).

MIS

As has been noted, current gatekeeping studies in both MIS and management do not

analyze gatekeeping in-depth but instead use the concept as a factor in larger studies. MIS relies

solely upon the notion of the gatekeeper as a facilitator, whose origins are embedded mainly in

Allen’s (1977) technological gatekeeper theory. The unit of analysis is at the organizational level

and the goal is to achieve effectiveness and efficiency through knowledge brokers—gatekeepers

10-33
who translate and facilitate the flow of information between units and/or organizations. The

prevailing mode of analysis, in contrast to communication and information science (which

emphasize the remoteness of the gatekeeper as part of an elite group [Mosca, 1938; Pareto,

1935]), is not elitist but follows more of a pluralist paradigm (Dahl, 1983; Truman, 1951). The

gatekeeper’s expertise, ability, and membership of a network are emphasized. Speaking of

pluralism, it is surprising that the articulation and language used in MIS studies still ignore the

importance and role of the gated.

Management

The main goal attributed to gatekeeping in the current management literature is the

preservation of organizational culture and goals, a hybrid comprising enculturation theories,

boundary spanning, and editorial gatekeeping. The means of action is facilitation (Pollack &

Zeckhauser, 1996) but the goal is the preservation of values and norms within networks (e.g.,

organizations and departments) by promoting the preservation of the cultural characteristics that

define these networks. There is confusion as to whether gatekeeping is a neutral process (Pollack

& Zeckhauser, 1996; Shumsky & Pinker, 2003) or a political one (Beyer, Chanove, & Fox, 1995;

Katz et al., 1995), a confusion that reflects the different origins of management studies.

Operations research entails a more neutral approach by concentrating on the process and stages

of development of gatekeeping; organizational behavior focuses more on political channels,

emphasizing the sociopolitical factors that affect the decisions of gatekeepers.

Sociology

No matter what the gatekeeping rationale is in the sociological literature (e.g.,

10-34
preservation of culture, editorial, and access), a leitmotif is the representation of reality. Two

types of gated are expressed in the literature of sociology. The first type, a gated community such

as women (Kunovich & Paxton, 2005), Blacks (Pescosolido, Grauerholz, & Milkie, 1997), or

social movements (Smith, McCarthy, McPhail, & Augustyn, 2001), are represented through a

medium (e.g., on the Internet, in books, the mass media, politics). The second type, the gated

individual, lives the social reality constructed by the gatekeeper. These studies manifest a power

discourse where the gatekeeper determines and sets the boundaries of language while the gated

remains deprived of any meaningful resources to intervene in that process without the

gatekeeper’s permission.

Political Science

Political science is unique because it is the only discipline that consistently uses a

pluralist vocabulary for gatekeepers and views them as collective agents with a hegemonic

mission, without individualistic aspirations; for example, committees in a political sphere

(Krehbiel, 1997; Segal, 1997); the state (Blanton, 2000); and even provocative arguments that

demonstrate how the common gated, the people, function as gatekeepers (Putterman, 2005). The

power of gatekeepers arises from their ability to preserve the status quo through veto against

measures that may change the political environment against the wishes of the gatekeeper. In

contrast to the discussion in communication studies, which perceives gatekeepers as agents of

change, political science inverts the gatekeeper role to that of maintaining order and equilibrium.

A limitation of the political science narrative is that it restricts gatekeeping studies to

democratically based situations.

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A Cross-Field Analysis (1995–2007): Common Gatekeeping Themes

The within-field analysis provided us with some descriptive findings about how each

field treats gatekeeping. To be able to analyze and reflect upon any changes, we need to see

which themes emerge across the various fields. Table 10.7 provides a cross-field analysis. It is

followed by a discussion on each theme.

Table 10.7 Common cross-fields themes

Theme Articles grouped by theme

Process Beyer, Chanove, & Fox, 1995; Braun & Diospatonyi, 2005; Hardin,
2005; Kunovich & Paxton, 2005; Shoemaker, Eichholz, Kim, & Wrigley,
2001; Smith, McCarthy, McPhail, & Augustyn, 2001
New-Old Althaus & Tewksbury, 2002; Porter & Sallot, 2003;Singer, 2001; Singer,
2006
Identity Agada, 1999; Klobas & McGill, 1995
Influence Awazu & Desouza, 2004; Beyer, Chanove, & Fox, 1995; Blair, 2002;
Blanton, 2000; Clayman & Reisner, 1998; Katz, Tushman, & Allen,
1995; Kunovich & Paxton, 2005; Leichty & Springston, 1996; Obstfeld,
2005; Pescosolido, Grauerholz, & Milkie, 1997; Schultze & Orlikowski,
2004
Relations Pawlowski & Robey, 2004; Smith, McCarthy, McPhail, & Augustyn,
2001
Practical Pollack & Zeckhauser, 1996; Robbin & Frost-Kumpf, 1997; Scott, 2005;
Shumsky & Pinker, 2003; Suchman & Cahill, 1996
Normative Krehbiel, 1997; Putterman, 2005; Segal, 1997

Process Theme: Effects on Decision Making

The process theme concentrates on factors affecting the decision-making process. It

effectively neutralizes the political and power metaphors of gatekeeping by separating them from

subjective factors such as personal feelings and perceptions (Beyer et al., 1995; Smith et al.,

2001). Moreover, by focusing on the process, this approach stifles discourse on how the gated

influence the process. This prevents them from being a potentially equal player in the system

(Kunovich & Paxton, 2005; Shoemaker et al., 2001). Smith and colleagues (2001, p. 1397) put it

10-36
this way: “Even when movements succeed at obtaining the attention of mass media outlets,

media reports portray protests in ways that may undermine social movement agendas.”

New-Old Theme: Comparing Old and New Contexts

The set of research questions raised under this rubric belong exclusively in the

communication field, which attempts to understand the differences between traditional modes of

communication and new ones such as those enabled by the Internet. One can only speculate why

other fields are slow to examine how new technologies affect notions of gatekeeping. Are

communication theories more mature compared to those in other fields? The new-old theme

demonstrates communication scholars’ uneasiness with traditional theories of gatekeeping. Many

studies attempt (often unsuccessfully) to analyze new gatekeeping phenomena with an arsenal of

old tools and frameworks that need to be revised. Singer (2006a) highlights the mismatch of

context and theory by arguing that gatekeepers no longer treat information as an end product but

as a basis for user engagement, participation, and personalization. Can traditional communication

theories explain the interactivity of relations between the gatekeeper and the gated or explain the

co-production of gatekeepers? Most traditional gatekeeping theories cannot accommodate such

phenomena.

Identity Theme: Who Is a Gatekeeper?

The new-old theme is dominated by communication scholars; the identity theme,

however, is dominated by information science scholars and is concerned with the basics of

existing theoretical frameworks. The two studies presenting the identity theme (Agada, 1999;

Klobas & McGill, 1995) presume that gatekeepers emerge from within the community in a

10-37
bottom-up process and represent needs of community members. These studies perceive

gatekeepers from both a pluralistic and a neutral perspective. The factors that differentiate

gatekeepers from other members of the network are mainly their information skills rather than

their affiliation to a certain class or elite or the power they possess.

Influence Theme: Impact of Gatekeeping

The influence theme is reflected through deterministic questions exploring the impact of

gatekeeping within a certain context. For example, it studies how gatekeeping and gatekeepers

affect cultural change through the portrayal of Blacks in U.S. children’s picture books from

1937–1993 (Pescosolido et al., 1997), influence the nature of knowledge management in

communities of practice (Blair, 2002), affect participation of women as political candidates

(Kunovich & Paxton, 2005), affect policymakers’ decisions about the transfer of arms to another

country (Blanton, 2000), influence the fate of submitted manuscripts (Clayman & Reisner,

1998), influence the chances of a subordinate being promoted in organizations (Katz et al.,

1995), play roles in public relations (Leichty & Springston, 1996), and affect IT usage within

inter-firm relations (Schultze & Orlikowski, 2004). In these studies, gatekeeping and gatekeepers

are taken as independent variables and the gated, in most cases, are the dependent variables. A

criticism is inevitably leveled against the apparently infinite number of dependent variables and

contexts. Gatekeepers and gatekeeping might be anything, under the appropriate circumstances,

weakening the ability to decompose gatekeeping analytically as a process or to focus on the

gatekeeping itself as the main topic.

Relations Theme: Analyzing Stakeholders’ Relations

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 This theme analyzes relations among different stakeholders by identifying the relevant

stakeholders and their relationships (Mitchell, Agle, & Wood, 1997). Although not the primary

goal, this theme promotes discussion about the type and meaning of relations between

gatekeepers and gated. Nevertheless, the dominant focus is the gatekeeper, not the gated.

Practical Theme: Illustrating Processes

The practical theme deals with the motivators of, incentives for, and impediments to the

information flow processes. The main research question under this theme is “How?” The goal is

to explicate gatekeeping incrementally by reflecting on its different stages. This theme is mainly

of interest to researchers in professional fields: management, law, and information services. The

questions raised are practical in nature, with measurable purposes and outcomes (e.g., efficiency,

effectiveness, and cost-benefit analysis). However, its strength is also its weakness because the

theme does not address questions about the meaning of gatekeeping.

Normative Theme: Who and What Questions

The normative and identity themes both ask foundational questions. The identity theme is

dominated by information scientists; the normative theme is the domain of political scientists,

who are interested in such questions as: “Who should be the gatekeeper?” and “What should she

or he do?” (Krehbiel, 1997; Putterman, 2005; Segal, 1997). These sets of questions are

invaluable to the foundation of the next generation of theories. They carefully examine the

premises that constitute existing theories and at the same time shift them away from purely

practical implications.

10-39
1995–2007: A Stagnation Era—What Next?

The seven themes suggest a period of stagnation in gatekeeping theory development.

Only two, the identity and normative themes, critically examine the foundations of gatekeeping

theories and gatekeepers. Most other types of studies do not create new theories or ask fresh

questions about gatekeeping. First-order questions in the context of gatekeeping are usually

questions of “what” and “who” rather than “how” and “when.” For example, what is

gatekeeping? Who is considered a gatekeeper? What determinants affect gatekeeping? Studies

from 1995 to 2007 mainly apply existing theories (for example, using the gatekeeping theories

created by Metoyer-Duran [1993], Shoemaker [1991], or Allen [1977]). They prefer to focus on

second-order questions and, assuming that the cornerstones of theories are well firmly in place,

meaningful issues taken for granted. For instance, instead of revisiting definitions of

gatekeeping, they study how a particular factor affects gatekeeping effectiveness or how

gatekeepers operate in a particular context.

A devil’s advocate might claim that the chances of any topic being studied from the

ground up are fairly small. In most studies the preference is to progress incrementally, building

on foundations provided by scholars from the past (Kuhn, 1962). Not every study should be of a

critical nature or attempt to revolutionize the field by addressing first-order questions (Gregor,

2006); however, every field should provide certain mechanisms in order to re-examine the

axioms, assumptions, and hypotheses that advance theory building. Unfortunately, our macro-

level look at eight disciplines/fields in the last decade resulted in almost no discourse about the

conceptualization of gatekeeping. This should raise concerns regarding the future of this topic

and suggest the need for a critical analysis of the field of gatekeeping, re-examining the

foundations.

10-40
 What might be the reasons for such stagnation? Perhaps this situation indicates a degree

of stabilization and consolidation rather than stagnation, pointing to the maturation of the topic

and its associated theories. But the findings of this study suggest something different. The

plurality of vocabularies within and across fields2 exemplified in Figure 10.1 implies that there is

no common definition; nor is there a unifying theory that provides the necessary infrastructure

one associates with a mature field. Even the editorial gatekeeping rationale, which represents one

of the anchor frameworks for discussion on gatekeeping, has not evolved to a level that would

ensure agreement on most of the first-order questions. For evidence, we need only look at the

amount of debate and variation on this theoretical framework (Shoemaker, 1991). The

fragmentation reflects a lack of within-field as well as cross-field integration. This does not mean

that particular theoretical frameworks lack rigor or are insubstantial. It demonstrates, however,

that scholars choose not to raise first-order questions that might stir controversy and divert them

from their main research focus. It is as though they prefer to address “safe” questions and avoid

big issues that might endanger the scholarly mainstream.

The second reason for stagnation in theory development has to do with nomenclature and

the questions that are being framed within the internal discourse of each field but do not connect

with the narratives of other fields. One reason for scholarly silos is the fear of academic criticism

and fear of not meeting the rigid legitimacy benchmarks of each field or discipline. Scholl (2007)

describes a similar concern in the e-government arena. Gatekeeping is a broad concept, which

needs to borrow, and then integrate, heuristics and basics from a number of fields if it is to deal

with challenging theoretical questions. Remaining field-bound may cause an interdisciplinary

concept to stagnate and may also discourage scholars from undertaking foundational work.

10-41
Do We Need a New Theory?

This chapter argues for a fresh approach to the study of gatekeeping. There are three

reasons why this is needed.

The first is evidenced by the new-old theme. This theme nicely illustrates some of the

frustrations that scholars have when attempting to describe and analyze new gatekeeping

phenomena using traditional tools and theories. The ubiquity of information and communication

technologies, the widespread use of interactive applications, and the increasing digital skills of

the population oblige scholars to revisit or at least re-examine classical models of gatekeeping.

Singer (2001, 2006a) demonstrates the mismatch in two articles studying how the World Wide

Web changed the newspaper editor’s (the gatekeeper’s) role using traditional communication

theories of gatekeeping (Donohue et al., 1989; Snider, 1967; White, 1950): “We do not exist in

isolation and we do not exist only through our personal interests. We exist as members of a real

community that extends well beyond our newspaper’s primary circulation area” (Singer, 2001, p.

78). Later she acknowledges that “the Internet defies the whole notion of a ‘gate’” (Singer,

2006b, p. 265) and concludes that “these findings suggest that newspaper editors may be

reconceptualizing their gatekeeping role as they become more experienced in creating content for

the Internet, a medium whose open nature obliterates the traditional notion of the professional

journalist deciding what information people can and cannot see” (Singer, 2006b, p. 275). If

gatekeepers have reconceptualized their gatekeeping roles, why should scholars not do the same?

Secondly, most early theories of gatekeeping provided questions, solutions, and

foundations contextualized to their own field or discipline. In keeping with Foucault’s (1972)

claim, these theories create a narrative that disciplines scholars to work within a set of axioms,

vocabularies, and relations between concepts that are perceived as being unique to the discipline.

10-42
The discipline disciplines its scholars through a narrative, a homogenous discourse that

constructs boundaries around the discipline and between it and other disciplines, emphasizing its

uniqueness. The discipline thus legitimizes some aspects of research while excluding others. This

intellectual gatekeeping may foster normative homogeneity but it hinders critical thinking. In

order to understand a concept with all its contextual richness we need to break down the walls of

disciplines and propose a theory that is not limited to any one paradigm. Providing an

interdisciplinary framework that could appeal to various contexts and fields may be of

considerable value. The suggested theoretical framework, sometimes called a meta-theory, can

be customized later, crafting questions that fit a particular field.

Thirdly, the findings of this study show that the majority of articles focuses on

gatekeepers’ roles. Surprisingly, after sixty years of gatekeeping research, we have yet to agree

on a nomenclature identifying the entity (e.g., individual, group, community) subjected to a

gatekeeping process. Even where gatekeeping has more of a collective connotation (e.g.,

facilitator, linking, preservation of culture), gatekeepers are conceptualized as proxies of their

communities, groups, or organizations while the gated have an active, yet ignored role. The

simple fact that no vocabulary exists in the literature identifying these stakeholders exemplifies

the passivity or negligence in the way prevailing discourse treats the gated and scholars’ limited

ability to present alternative thinking. Network Gatekeeping Theory for the first time in the

literature names this entity as the gated (Barzilai-Nahon, in press).

To conclude, laying out the within-fields and cross-fields themes enables us to

understand the concept of gatekeeping currently being applied in research. It also exposes the

lacunae that need to be bridged: The difficulty of coping with complex phenomena such as

gatekeeping without adequate analytical tools. For example, we need to refer to the gated as an

10-43
important stakeholder group and the interactivity of information technology. Hence, the need to

draw foundational elements from a number of theories to create a common ground for discussion

and a more refined conceptualization.

Applying Network Gatekeeping Theory

Barzilai-Nahon (in press) developed the concept of network gatekeeping as a theoretical

framework that emphasizes four perspectives: first, gatekeeping as an information control

process not necessarily limited to one specific type of control (e.g., selection); second, networks

as a crucial dimension in conceptualizing gatekeeping3; third, identifying gatekeepers and gated,

the entity subjected to a gatekeeping process, through their interactions with each other; and

fourth, analyzing the dynamism of gatekeepers and both the gated’s status and position. These

four elements address the gaps identified in the current literature.

Network Gatekeeping identifies the gated according to their salience to gatekeepers (the

degree to which gatekeepers give priority to competing gated claims) by four attributes (1) their

political power in relation to the gatekeeper, (2) their information production ability, (3) their

relationship with the gatekeeper, and (4) their alternatives in the context of gatekeeping. It

predicts that the salience of a particular gated to a gatekeeper is correlated with possession of

these attributes. Table 10.8 illustrates the typology of gated in Network Gatekeeping Theory

according to the four attributes.

10-44
Table 10.8 Gated typology

P I R A TIER TYPE OF CLASS

0 Tier 0: Traditional Gated Traditional Gated
No possession of attributes
1 X Tier I: Dormant Gated Captive audience
2 X possession of one attribute Lost voice
3 X Vagabond reader
4 X Squanderer Gated
5 X X Tier II: Potential Gated Exploited apprentice
6 X X possession of two attributes Demanding user
7 X X Potential change agent
8 X X Illusive apprentice
9 X X Empowered Gated
10 X X Vagabond user
11 X X X Tier III: Bounded Gated Frustrated Gated
12 X X X possession of three attributes Influence Bounded Gated
13 X X X Choice Bounded Gated
14 X X X Threatening Gated
15 X X X X Tier IV: Challenging Gated Challenging Gated
possession of four attributes

P – Political power; I – Information production; R – Relationship; A – Alternatives (Barzilai-Nahon,

2008)

Articulating the four attributes provides a snapshot of gatekeeping based on the

interactions among the gated and gatekeepers, at a particular moment and in a specific context.

Table 10.9 applies Network Gatekeeping to the current literature and is followed by a discussion.

10-45
 Table 10.9 Articles by gated tier and type

Informa-
Altern- Gated typology
Relationships tion Political power1
atives
production

Gated have more power

GK has more power than
No exchange/feedback

GK have power/gated
exchange/feedback

exchange/feedback

GK is equal to Gated
End user also creator
Gate-

Circumvention of

Info Production
Another creator

No association
Author, date keeping

Relationships
GK as creator

Alternatives
Gatekeeper
rationale

have none
Frequent

Power
gated
Some

None
Gated Tier Gated Type
Tier II –
Change Potential Change
Hardin, 2005 x x x x x x Potential
agent Agent
Gated
Leichty & Tier II –
Dissemina Potential Change
Springston, x x x x x x Potential
tor Agent
1996 Gated
Tier I –
Singer, 2001 Editorial x x x x x Dormant Vagabond reader
Gated
Shoemaker,
Eichholz, Tier I –
Kim, & Editorial x x x x x x Dormant Vagabond reader
Wrigley, Gated
2001
Tier IV –
Singer, 2006 Editorial x x x x x x x x x Challenging Challenging Gated
Gated
Althaus & Editorial x x x x x x Tier II – Vagabond user

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Tewksbury, Potential
2002 Gated
Tier I –
Porter & Protection x x x x x Captive audience
Dormant
Sallot, 2003
Gated
Comm
3 2 2 4 3 1 1 3 4 3 2 1 1 4 1 4 4
TOTAL
Tier III –
Klobas & Dissemina Choice Bounded
x x x x x x x Bounded
McGill, 1995 tor Gated
Gated
Braun & Tier I –
Dióspatonyi, Editorial x x x x x Dormant Captive audience
2005 Gated
Robbin & Tier II –
Frost-Kumpf, Facilitator x x x x x x Potential Demanding user
1997 Gated
Tier III –
Influence Bounded
Blair, 2002 Facilitator x x x x x x x Bounded
Gated
Gated
Tier III –
Influence Bounded
Agada, 1999 Linking x x x x x x x Bounded
Gated
Gated
Awazu & Preservati Tier I –
Desouza, on of x x x x Dormant Captive audience
2004 culture Gated
Info Sci Total 0 1 5 5 0 1 0 2 3 3 3 0 0 6 1 3 3
Tier I –
Suchman &
Linking x x x x x Dormant Captive audience
Cahill, 1996
Gated
Law Total 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Pawlowski & Tier IV –
Facilitator x x x x x x x x Challenging Gated
Robey, 2004 Challenging

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 Gated
Schultze & Tier IV –
Orlikowski, Facilitator x x x x x x x x Challenging Challenging Gated
2004 Gated
MIS Total 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 2 2 2 2
Beyer, Tier II –
Exploited
Chanove, & Editorial x x x x x x Potential
apprentice
Fox, 1995 Gated
Tier II –
Shumsky &
Facilitator x x x x x x Potential Demanding User
Pinker, 2003
Gated
Katz, Preservati Tier I –
Tushman, & on of x x x x x Dormant Captive audience
Allen, 1995 culture Gated
Pollack & Preservati Tier I –
Zeckhauser, on of x x x x x Dormant Captive audience
1996 culture Gated
Mgmt Total 0 3 1 0 2 1 1 3 1 4 0 0 0 4 1 1 0
Tier I –
Blanton, 2000 Access x x x x x Dormant Captive audience
Gated
Tier IV –
Putterman, Change
x x x x x x x x x Challenging Challenging Gated
2005 agent
Gated
Tier I –
Change
Scott, 2005 x x x x x Dormant Captive audience
agent
Gated
Preservati Tier I –
Krehbiel,
on of x x x x x Dormant Captive audience
1997
culture Gated
Preservati Tier III – Influence Bounded
Segal, 1997 x x x x x x x
on of Bounded Gated

10-48
 culture Gated
PoliSci Total 0 1 4 0 3 1 2 3 2 3 0 1 1 5 1 2 2
Tier I –
Obstfeld, Dissemina
x x x x x x Dormant Vagabond reader
2005 tor
Gated
Pub Aff Total 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Smith,
Tier III –
McCarthy, Change Influence Bounded
x x x x x x x Bounded
McPhail, & agent Gated
Gated
Augustyn,
2001
Tier I –
Clayman &
Editorial x x x x x x Dormant Captive audience
Reisner, 1998
Gated
Pescosolido,
Preservati Tier I –
Grauerholz,
on of x x x x x Dormant Captive audience
& Milkie,
Culture Gated
1997
Preservati Tier I –
Kunovich &
on of x x x x Dormant Captive audience
Paxton, 2005
Culture Gated
Soc Total 0 4 0 3 1 0 1 2 1 3 1 0 0 4 0 1 1
Total for
3 13 14 13 9 6 6 4 14 18 8 2 2 27 6 14 12
All Fields
1. Counted even if the gated had minimal power in relation to the gatekeeper.

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The Political Power of the Gated

Information control as a process is in many cases a manifestation of the power of

stakeholders who seek to achieve their political interests. The literature across all fields

uniformly avoids any analysis of power of gatekeepers in relation to the gated (see Table 10.9).

In most studies, the gatekeeper is perceived as powerful and the gated as powerless, or at most as

having minimal power relative to the gatekeeper. Exceptions to a gatekeeper’s elitist image can

be found only in four articles in communication and political science (Hardin, 2005; Putterman,

2005; Segal, 1997; Singer, 2006b). Singer (2006b) perceives the gatekeepers as accommodating

to the interactive nature of the Internet; he treats the gated as having power equal to gatekeepers.

Analyzing Hardin’s (2005) approach to power is more complicated due to the dual approach she

takes. Normatively, she refers to the reader’s interest as the factor that should determine the

editor’s (gatekeeper’s) decisions regarding whether, what, and when to publish something.

Empirically, she points out that editors ignore the gated preferences but she hints that the gated

can still have the upper hand if they act collectively to punish gatekeepers (for example, by not

buying the newspaper).

Putterman (2005) claims that the framers of the law ought to be the people (gated) and

not the representative politicians and therefore the people (gated) should actually be considered

as legislative gatekeepers. This argument raises a critical question: If the gated possess power, do

they turn into gatekeepers? The transformation of the gated into gatekeeper is not achieved

through the possession of one of the attributes (political power, information production,

alternatives, relationship); each of these simply represents the potential for gatekeeping.

However, it is the capability of the gated to perform an act of information control, the exercising

of this control, and the surrounding context that makes one a gatekeeper. Being a powerful entity

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does not, necessarily, make one a gatekeeper. It is the discretion to exercise gatekeeping along

with the context that turns the entity into a gatekeeper. Certainly, affiliation with powerful circles

and elites increases one’s chances of playing the role of a gatekeeper. Referring again to

Putterman’s article: If people (gated) were granted the power to frame the law directly and they

exercised that power, and if the purpose of this framing were to exercise information control,

then they could be considered gatekeepers and not gated.

The facilitator and linking rationales for gatekeeping could be expected to involve more

equal powers among the social actors; our study, however, produced different results. Even these

types of gatekeeping were presented by the different scholars in a unidimensional manner,

emphasizing only the gatekeeper and not the gated as a source of power (Agada, 1999; Blair,

2002; Pawlowski & Robey, 2004; Robbin & Frost-Kumpf, 1997; Schultze & Orlikowski, 2004;

Shumsky & Pinker, 2003).

The Information Production of the Gated

The second attribute is the information production of the gated. Most of the literature

surveyed investigates the creation of information either by the gatekeeper or by other sources,

such as news articles written by reporters. Only a few studies analyze the information production

of the gated and what this tells us about the nature of gatekeeping (Beyer et al., 1995; Klobas &

McGill, 1995; Pawlowski & Robey, 2004; Putterman, 2005; Singer, 2006b). In classic portrayals

of gatekeeping, especially in communication models looking at editors as gatekeepers, the

gatekeeper is presented as the sole producer or the principal disseminator of information

(Bagdikian, 2004; Foucault, 1980; Metoyer-Duran, 1993). Current literature diminishes the role

the gated might have in reality. Scholars portray gatekeepers using metaphors of dominance.

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Information production by the gated may translate into power and undermine gatekeeping as a

process; in many cases scholars therefore prefer to overlook these capabilities and exclude them

from their analysis. The result is that research questions and hypotheses are framed linguistically

around gatekeepers’ production, dissemination, and use of information while the context of the

gated is ignored. This is particularly surprising because the current literature on information use

in the world of Web 2.0, Web 3.0, and other evolutionary technologies underscores the

importance of users as co-producers (Foot & Schneider, 2006). Prevailing discourse seems to

predispose scholars to adopt a one-sided perspective, that of the gatekeeper. The vocabulary

itself favors the gatekeeper, silencing any inclination to raise in-depth questions about the nature

of gated information production.

Nevertheless, some new gatekeeping studies are asking questions about the duality of

information production. Singer (2006b) claims that contemporary gatekeepers see information

not as an end product but as a basis for user engagement, participation, and personalization. Foot

and Schneider (2006) describe the Internet as a space for the co-production of political

information by elites and non-elites. Future research may delve into questions of ability to

produce information by gated, the meaning of it to the gatekeeping process, and its effect on

network dynamics.

Relations Between the Gated and Gatekeepers

The third attribute to take into consideration in Network Gatekeeping is the relationship

of the gated with gatekeepers. Having a reciprocal, enduring, and direct exchange enables the

gated to alter their political power and the nature of their relations with the gatekeeper. Table

10.9 reveals that in cases where the rationale for gatekeeping is editorial, access, or protection,

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the relations between gatekeepers and gated tend to be framed as sender and receiver,

respectively. Although most of the literature does acknowledge a relationship between

gatekeepers and the gated, it does not include in-depth investigations into the meaning of the

reciprocity or the enduring nature of these relations. Foot and Schneider (2006) argue for a

recursive influence between candidates for elections and users (e.g., voters, potential donors) in

the context of Web campaigning. Traditionally the candidates would count as gatekeepers and

the users as the gated. Yet, the authors point to the dynamic, interactive nature of information

feedback, creation, and modification. Web campaigners design their sites and their messages

taking into consideration the feedback they will receive from users. Moreover, their talkbacks

and other types of feedback recursively influence and modify the messages that consequently

influence users. It creates a new dynamic where the gatekeeper-gated roles change frequently.

The authors justly emphasize not only the ability of the gated to produce information by gated,

but also their participation in shaping gatekeepers’ decisions, thereby transforming the

gatekeeper to gated and vice versa. Future research may look into this interplay and investigate

its dialectics and its significance for gatekeeping theory. What are the conditions that transform

gated to gatekeeper? How do the gated control information, which is simultaneously being

controlled by gatekeepers? Do gatekeepers use certain gatekeeping mechanisms more than others

to protect their self-perceived status?

Alternatives Available to the Gated

Network Gatekeeping also considers the alternatives that the gated have. Unlike other

attributes, alternatives are a well treated topic in the current literature (Agada, 1999; Obstfeld,

2005; Robbin & Frost-Kumpf, 1997; Schultze & Orlikowski, 2004; Smith et al., 2001). Benkler

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(2006, p. 133) claims there is greater individual autonomy in the network environment due to the

range and diversity of things that individuals can do for and by themselves and by providing

“nonproprietary alternative sources of communication capacity and information, alongside the

proprietary platforms of mediated communications.” In contrast, Barzilai-Nahon (in press) and

Barzilai-Nahon and Neumann (2005) argue that this growing autonomy in many instances does

not translate to greater freedom or power for the gated due to users’ self-regulation (see also

Sunstein, 2001, 2006). These authors suggest differentiating between legal rights and the de facto

limited options that one has in choosing among alternatives.

Lessons in Applying Network Gatekeeping

Reflecting on the various attributes of Network Gatekeeping Theory as applied in current

literature is only the first stage. To strengthen the analysis of the complex phenomenon of

gatekeeping, it is also important to consider how attributes interact (reflected in Table 10.9 as

types and tiers of gated) (Barzilai-Nahon, in press). By analyzing Tables 10.9, 10.10, and 10.11,

we discuss how different types of gated are reflected in the current literature. More specifically

we discuss three issues emerging from the literature review: (1) the dominance of lower tiers of

gated, (2) the absence of certain types of gated, and (3) the association of certain gatekeeping

rationales with certain tiers of the gated.

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 Table 10.10 Comparison of gatekeeping rationale with gated typology

Gatekeeping Rationale
Tier Change Preservation Total by
Gated Type Access Disseminator Editorial Facilitator Linking Protection
Agent of Culture Typology
Tier I – Vagabond
2 2
Dormant reader
Gated Captive
1 1 2 1 6 1 12
audience
Demanding
1 2 3
user
Tier II –
Exploited
Potential 1 1
apprentice
Gated
Potential
Change 1 1 2
Agent
Vagabond
1 1
user
Influence
Tier III – Bounded 1 1 1 1 4
Bounded Gated
gated Choice
Bounded 1 1
Gated
Tier IV –
Challenging
Challenging 1 1 2 4
Gated
Gated

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Table 10.11 Field by gated tier

Field
Tier
Comm Info Sci Law MIS Mgmt PoliSci Pub Aff Soc Total by Tier
Tier I –
3 2 1 2 3 3 14
Dormant Gated
Tier II –
3 1 2 1 7
Potential Gated
Tier III –
3 1 1 5
Bounded gated
Tier IV –
1 2 1 4
Challenging Gated
Total by Field 7 6 1 2 4 5 1 4 30

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Dominance of Lower Tiers of the Gated

Tiers I and II of the gated—dormant and bounded gated—comprise the majority of

articles (21) that deal with gatekeeping in the literature (see Tables 10.10 and 10.11). Only a

small number deals expressly with Tier IV, challenging gated. Scholars tend to avoid the

complexity of interactions between the gated and gatekeepers and to ignore the importance of the

challenging gated in the context of stakeholder interactions. The low gated tiers indicate that

research questions posed by scholars are framed in elitist rather than in pluralistic terms. For

example, bounded research questions such as “How do gatekeepers set the rules of the game?”

and “What do gatekeepers need in order to mobilize gated?” are addressed in terms of the

dominance and proactivity of gatekeepers. Therefore, gatekeepers are regarded in many cases as

superior in their resources and powers, which may be the case in some instances, but may play

down instances in which the gated are challenging gatekeepers. Scholarly discourse appears to

have centered on gatekeepers to such a degree that gatekeepers have become the main focus of

research. This is reflected in the habitualization of language representations that construct

gatekeepers in strong linguistic terms as the focus of network practices (see also Berger &

Luckmann [1966] on social construction).

We argue that scholars should direct some attention to different mechanisms upon which

both gated and gatekeepers may be able to call in their interactions with each other. Working

within an elitist paradigm may be appropriate but one should not ignore the emerging

mechanisms that the gated may use when interacting with gatekeepers. Examples of such

mechanisms include recommender systems in which the users/gated comment on the quality of

books and articles written by gatekeepers.

Moreover, the gated type captive audience has a fairly large representation in the

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literature (12 articles). This type is encouraged by the gatekeeper to interact and provide

feedback and is furnished with the means to do so. The relationship requires an information

exchange between the gated and gatekeeper but is constrained by the rules and agenda set by the

political process, framed and decided upon by the gatekeeper.

Absence of Certain Types of Gated from the Literature

Barzilai-Nahon’s Gatekeeping Network Theory spreads sixteen classes of gated over five

tiers. Our review reveals an absence in the literature of seven types of gated. This absence may

indicate a lack of research in the various fields to investigate all classes and to understand them

in depth but it also may suggest a rare type of gated. For example, one of the absent types is lost

voice in Tier I. Gated of the lost voice class are aware of and utilize their ability to produce

information but they do not possess any other attributes. Gatekeepers (one or more) provide the

infrastructure (e.g., easy-to-use blog software, a tool to create and design Web sites) and thus

control the space within which the gated may operate. This type also represents a gated without

alternatives, which may occur for several reasons. For example, existing mechanisms or

technologies may not provide them with an alternative. The context in which lost voice gated

operate implies that the gatekeeper may have a monopoly on the infrastructure governing the

interaction. Another reason may be the cost of switching from one alternative to another. For

example, a user who developed his or her virtual profile under a particular social network

provider may be reluctant to re-develop a profile on another platform. This class of gated may be

a catalyst to achieving network gatekeepers’ goals because they derive some of their political

power and reputation from their ability to attract users, create high volumes of information

traffic, and show their ability to manage these assets (e.g., YouTube, Facebook). This type of

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gated is well explored in other fields, for example in management studies, but from a perspective

other than gatekeeping (e.g., switching costs and lock-in mechanisms).

Association of Gatekeeping Rationale with Certain Tiers of Gated

Table 10.10 illuminates certain linkages between the rationale for gatekeeping and type

of gated. The editorial and preservation of culture gatekeepers maintain dominance while

interacting with gated in Tier I, specifically the captive audience gated type. Facilitator

gatekeepers interact with gated of Tier IV but also with Tier II and III gated. This raises the

following question: Is it the type of gatekeeping that creates a situation that empowers the gated?

Other observations are that disseminator is linked to Tier II of gated and change agent varies in

all tiers.

Discussion: Stocktaking and Gatekeeping Self-Examination

Network Gatekeeping Theory offers a road map to address certain gaps that exist

currently for scholars of gatekeeping by: (1) creating a new vocabulary to fit current contexts, (2)

taking account of dynamics, and (3) applying interdisciplinary methods and approaches to

questions of gatekeeping. The theory cannot serve as a panacea or as the ultimate theoretical

framework to illustrate and explain gatekeeping phenomena with all its complexities. It has some

limitations: First, the dynamism reflected in this theory is obfuscated by the dichotomous types

of gated, which does not allow much scope for the gray classifications that are so common in a

dynamic context. Such a limitation is typical of the early stage of theory evolution. Early stage

theory should empower scholars to play a bigger role in molding parts of the theoretical

framework and customizing it to their own needs. At the same time, the current theory is

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sufficiently developed to stimulate a debate and elicit questions that were previously marginal. A

second limitation may become evident if, by presenting these four attributes as a definitive

roadmap, it constrains researchers’ motivation to include or exclude other variables that may be

critical to a specific context.

A New Vocabulary

As discussed in this chapter, there is limited cross-fertilization of theories between fields.

Nevertheless, each field has its own vocabularies, metaphors, and symbols, which results in

unique theoretical constructs and variables that frame research questions in a field-localized

manner. The cross-field themes analysis (see Table 10.7) attempts to strip idiosyncratic questions

from their bounding disciplinary paradigm and find similar themes.

Network Gatekeeping Theory is presented as one approach to bridging the vocabulary

gaps that prevent the transfer and transformation of concepts from one field to another. In other

words, the new vocabulary facilitates the assimilation of well researched concepts by blurring

boundaries while benefiting from the maturity of other concepts. For example, co-production

issues have been well researched in communication and human-computer interaction fields and

would bring added value if idiosyncratic boundaries were passable (Lu, 2007; Scholl, 2007). The

implication of using Network Gatekeeping Theory as a neutralizing mechanism also implies the

ability to deal with language itself as a gatekeeping tool and a mechanism of power (Bourdieu,

1991).

The second advantage of the new vocabulary is the introduction of well-recognized gated

entities that previously were unnamed in the literature. Current and past literature does not ignore

the existence of the gated; after all, gatekeepers need the gated to exercise control of information.

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It prefers not to label them in this way, but rather to use more neutral words such as readers,

team members, and employees (Bennett, 2004; Schultze & Orlikowski, 2004). The gated concept

(Barzilai-Nahon, in press) was originally offered as a way of extending the linguistic benefits of

classification and definition and to encourage new ways of thinking and framing questions,

highlighting the gated as visible actors and the environment as encompassing multiple

stakeholders. It is an environment with different actors, different roles, and a context that

changes constantly. The simple fact that no vocabulary exists in the literature to identify these

stakeholders illustrates the passivity or negligence with which traditional models treat them.

Finally, explication of types and tiers of gated, although somewhat rigid in its

dichotomous framing (thus inviting further refinement), serves as a point of departure for

discussion and debate among researchers. Scholars are called to define the gray areas between

the tiers and types and to study the transformation of gated from one type and tier to another. It

may encourage various disciplines and fields to raise questions while taking into account power

dynamics, information production, social relationships, and alternatives. It is viewed as the

beginning of a discourse among many disciplines and fields, around the complex of practices

that constitutes gatekeeping.

Dynamism and Context

Most literature analyzed in this chapter treats gatekeeping as a static phenomenon.

Moreover, gatekeeping is presented as a growing phenomenon, with inertia of a kind implied by

the adage “the rich get richer” but instead “the gatekeeper gets more gatekeeper-y.” The

evolution of the gatekeeping role has been presented as linear, with the power of gatekeepers

increasing over time (Bagdikian, 2004; Zittrain, 2006). These representations, essentially static

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maps, are heuristically useful if the intent is to raise consciousness about who, how, and what

really count or to illustrate a stakeholder configuration at a particular context and time. Like all

models, however, one should remember that they are a simplification of reality. Gatekeepers and

the gated are not monolithic social and political entities, nor is their behavior unidimensional.

Accordingly, dynamism is important to represent an environment where the interests and goals

of the stakeholders constantly change, as do their gatekeeping and gated roles. Awareness of the

dynamic character of gatekeeping may help scholars move beyond traditional theories and tools

that cannot explain dynamic situations where the alternatives available to the gated change, the

skills and capabilities of information producers evolve, and relationships between gated and

gatekeepers become more complex.

One question that needs to be raised is whether dynamism invites the contextualization of

Network Gatekeeping Theory. Carens (2004, p. 118) argues that a contextual approach has five

interrelated elements:

First, it involves the use of examples to illustrate theoretical formulations. Second, it entails the

normative exploration of actual cases where the fundamental concerns addressed by the theory

are in play. Third, it leads theorists to pay attention to the question of whether their theoretical

formulations are actually compatible with the normative positions that they themselves take on a

particular issues. Fourth, it includes a search for cases that are especially challenging to theorists

own theoretical position. Fifth, it promotes consideration of a wide range of cases, and especially

a search for cases that are unfamiliar and illuminating because of their unfamiliarity.

Kukathas (2004, p. 216) criticizes contextual theories as “not a particularly distinctive

approach in political theory; that to the extent that it is distinctive it is not particularly theoretical;

and that to the extent that it is theoretical it is not particularly useful.” Network Gatekeeping

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Theory allows for the understanding of the dynamism of interactions that involve information

control in various contexts while using the various attributes that we suggest. Hence we offer a

framework that theorizes about a large phenomenon and yet accommodates distinctive attributes

of gatekeeping in context.

Interdisciplinarity

Analysis of the current literature suggests the need for an interdisciplinary theoretical

framework in order to unveil the multiple dimensions of gatekeeping in the context of the

information society. Network Gatekeeping Theory is only the first step toward this goal,

incorporating multi-field approaches and vocabulary. But the advantage of interdisciplinary

frameworks lies not only in constructing core concepts, but more in crafting questions. For

example, scholars would like to understand the various roles of gatekeepers that sometime

contradict each other—reflecting on the gatekeeper as the guardian of boundaries on one hand

and as the messenger of the community on the other.

Network Gatekeeping Theory may serve as a meta-theory, as an umbrella for future

theory and model building processes. It may also serve as a starting point for a broader debate

and refinements in various fields and disciplines around first-order questions concerning

networks.

Future Directions

Locus of the Gated

Network Gatekeeping Theory raises a new set of questions; questions about

understanding the gated as actors who participate in the gatekeeping process and society. The

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duality of gatekeeper-gated entails further questions emphasizing additional roles of gatekeepers

beyond the traditional ones. Another set of questions has to do with the influence that

gatekeeping mechanisms have on habits, values, norms, awareness, and attitudes. Most current

and past literature on gatekeeping focused on behavioral, positivist questions (e.g., Metoyer-

Duran, 1993). Less emphasis was given to critical questions. Some of that is explored in the

literature that deals with gatekeepers as change agents. Yet, most studies used the elitist prism

where the gatekeeper sets the agenda and the gated are manipulated according the gatekeeper’s

intentions and will. This chapter aims to alter that perspective, taking into account new practices.

Additional topics of inquiry should address how the gated influence the norms of gatekeepers.

Bringing in Communities

Acculturation theories of gatekeeping flourished at the end of the twentieth century;

today, however, studies seem to concentrate on primordial communities or communities of

diverse population (Agada, 1999). Most studies referenced in this chapter extend discussion to a

more theoretical level, for example, considering different types of gated (e.g., readers, voters,

employees). However, the studies typically use the individual as the unit of analysis rather than

looking into the community of which the gated, and sometimes the gatekeepers, are a part. We

should instead promote theories that emphasize various facets of communities and explore the

crucial role of communities in creating identity and action (Barzilai, 2003; Metoyer-Duran,

1991). It is important to understand the role of the community itself as a gatekeeper, not only

through individuals that represent it (Barzilai-Nahon & Neumann, 2005), but also through its

apparatuses, symbols, language, narratives, and institutions. A community is an entity by itself

with power constituted and exercised via its institutions (Barzilai, 2003). Such a perspective

10-64
requires that scholars are receptive to paradigms of gatekeeping that differ from the traditional,

elitist model. The communal perspective will encourage studies about self-regulation and self-

gatekeeping. Many scholars will argue that technology has allowed a higher degree of autonomy

for individuals. Paradoxically, however, autonomy is not necessarily correlated with less

gatekeeping, control, and regulation.

Textual Society and Language

Another major change needs to be addressed in relation to gatekeeping. The ubiquity of

technology and the profusion of information have shifted much human information exchange to

the textual domain (Barzilai-Nahon & Barzilai, 2005). Most uses of social network activities

today rely heavily on literacy. Gatekeeping has also shifted, becoming less associated with

physical activities and more with text and information. Therefore, scholars of gatekeeping should

endeavor to understand the lingual refinements and discourse implications as part of the

gatekeeping process (e.g., Moore, 2007).

The Pendulum of Neutral-Political

Studies that inquire more about process questions reflect the desire to present gatekeeping

from a more neutral perspective, as if neutrality allows a higher degree of objectivity,

abstraction, and prediction. Some scholars prefer to see gatekeepers as monolithic entities,

independently of political forces. However, the dynamism of the information society and of

gatekeeping itself oblige scholars to ask questions about the political power of both gatekeepers

and the gated. Most of the gatekeeping literature does not recognize the major role that politics

plays in understanding gatekeeping. For example, information science and sociology mention the

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gatekeeping role of the editors of academic journals to ensure homogeneity of information and

protect the interests of the community as well as the boundaries of the field. They do not take the

next step and state that understanding stakeholders’/editors’ interests involves analyzing the

politics of gatekeeping. This chapter has presented a theory that requires us to look inside the

political black box of networked interactions.

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Nancy Lou for the data gathering, Robert Mason and Gad Barzilai who

helped me refine the various versions of the paper, and Blaise Cronin and the anonymous

reviewers for comments that helped make the chapter stronger.

Endnotes

1. Two researchers reviewed the articles. The inter-rater reliability, that is, the level of

agreement in categorizing items for the pair of judges using Cohen’s Kappa was higher than

0.87.

2. One should exclude from the fragmentation discussion public affairs and law because they

had only one paper each on the topic that analyzed in-depth gatekeeping.

3. The assumption is that gatekeepers are part of a network of stakeholders. In order to

understand gatekeeping one should look at the concept from a more holistic perspective,

understanding its components. Network could be either a social network, or a technological

network.

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