Historical Roots of Information Flows in Hybrid Media Systems

Research on hybrid media systems has predominantly focused on recent digital developments, often overlooking historical precedents and long-term patterns that continue to shape today’s media landscape. This study addresses that gap by examining information flows—the cross-media dissemination of information and amplification of attention—from a historical perspective. Combining a literature review in journalism and media history with a longitudinal analysis of newspaper content, the study investigates four phenomena that illustrate information flows over time: media events, scandals, intermedia agenda-setting, and metaphors of public response. These phenomena are closely linked to recurring phrases and terms in public discourse and function as self-reinforcing communication patterns that connect different media channels and logics. The analysis draws on press coverage from three leading German-language newspapers: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany), Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Switzerland), and Die Presse (Austria). The findings reveal that terms such as “media frenzy,” “media attention,” and “scandal” have been used since the mid-20th century to describe cross-media dynamics, well before the advent of digital and social media. The frequency of such terms has increased over time, particularly with the expansion and diversification of mass media, and again with the rise of digitalization. By situating information flows in a historical context, the study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of continuity and change within hybrid media systems. While focused on German-speaking countries, the results suggest broader relevance and encourage future research that further integrates historical perspectives into the study of information flows in hybrid media systems.