level P art 1 Theory By Huub Evers Harmen Groenhart amp Klaus Bichler Session 7 Photo imagoecomediarobert fishman July 2013 Session 7 MAI on the organizational level 2 Introduction ID: 782922
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Slide1
MAI on the organizational
levelPart 1 – TheoryBy Huub Evers, Harmen Groenhart & Klaus Bichler
Session 7
Photo: imago/ecomedia/robert fishman
Slide2July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level2Introduction
In the following two
lectures
we discuss media accountability on the level of the news organizations.
In
lecture
A we sketch MA on the organizational level in theory. The two main questions in this course are:
What are typical news organizations’ instruments of media accountability (MAI)?
What’s the use of media accountability for news organizations?
In
lectureB
we illustrate MAI on the organizational level in practice. The two main questions in this course are:
1. How do journalists perceive MAI on the level of news organizations?
2. What are good examples of news organization MAI in practice?
Slide3July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level3
Question 1:
What
is
Media Accountability
on the level of media organizations?
Slide4July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level4What is Media Accountability on the level of media organizations?
Media accountability
means “any informal institution, both offline and online, performed by both media professionals and media users, which intends to monitor, comment on and criticize journalism and seeks to expose and debate problems of journalism.” (Fengler et al. 2011: 20)
Related to
news organizations
we could define media accountability as “any instrument, both offline and online, performed by both media professionals and media users, which intends to monitor, comment on and criticize
the editorial content of one specific newsroom and the behavior of its journalistic employees, in order to expose and debate problems of that newsroom
”.
As we will explain later on, the goal of media accountability may as well be formulated positively: “…in order to expose and debate problems of that newsroom,
and to improve the relation between the newsroom and its news users.”
Slide5July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level5News organizations are accountable to four categories of stakeholders and criteria:
Accountability to the state
- law
- annual report (PSB broadcasters)
- ethnic minorities policy
Accountability to the market
- owners
- advertisers
- customers
Slide6July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level6
3. Professional accountability
- quality standards
- ethics guidelines
- newsroom rules
4. Public accountability
- dealing with complaints
- correction boxes
- editorial blogs
- ombudsmen
Slide7July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level7What is media accountability on the level of media organizations?
As mentioned in other sessions, media accountability has many manifestations. In this session we will concentrate on three categories that are meaningful for the news organization:
Internal criticism
Transparency of sources, processes and actors
Critical audience interaction
Slide8July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level8Instruments for internal criticism
Newsroom debates
Personal communication between managers and journalists
Ombudsmen and in-house critics
Slide9July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level9Instruments for transparency
Sender transparency: who is behind the news?
ownership information
editorial statute
editorial code
every journalist his own bio-page
Product transparency
: what’s the value of specific journalistic products and statements?
sidebar about editorial decisions
background information and documents
published online
links to
original
sources and documents
Slide10July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level10
Process transparency: what goes on behind the scene?
blogs
tweets
Facebook
correction
box
column/letter chief
editor
annual report
Slide11July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level11Ethics Codes
Newsroom codes or guidelines
Press Council codes
Codes of national union of journalists
Codes of
International
F
ederation
of
Journalists
Slide12July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level12Ombudsman
Ombudsman, readers’ representative, public editor
Why appoint an ombudsman?
Task, competence
Key question: independence
See Session No.
5
&
6
Slide13July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level13Instruments for critical audience interaction
social media
audience participation in newsroom production
letters to the editor
user comments online
correction button
media watchblogs (citizens)
ombudsman
Slide14July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level14
Question 2:
What is the
use of
Media Accountability
on the level of media organizations?
Slide15July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level15What the use of Media Accountability on the level of media organizations?
Media accountability can be seen as a phenomenon that improves journalism as well as newsroom performance by means of transparency and audience interaction. This ‘improvement’ can be defined both
normatively
and
economically
.
Slide16July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level16Normative: Media accountability is a form of professional legitimization
News organizations no longer have a monopoly on news as other stakeholders (like companies, politicians and public institutions) started to communicate directly with the public.
News organizations are redefining their role in society, for instance by focussing more on analyzing the news and providing background information.
By being transparent about motivations and goals and probing the audiences needs, news organization get more grip on their own
professional legitimacy
.
Slide17July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level17Normative: media accountability is a prerequisite for the professional privilege
Journalists and newsrooms operate in relative freedom, as their actions are protected by press freedom.
Many authors frame this as an accountable freedom: along with the journalistic privilege comes the duty to be accountable.
Jurisdiction considers whether specific actions had a journalistic intention serving the public interest. Having clear cut professional intentions, newsrooms can defend themselves juridically.
Slide18July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level18Normative: ethical discourse is a responsibility in its own right
Journalism provides a platform function in society, and ethical discussion about journalistic performance in general is part of that platform function.
This ethical discussion may be between newsroom and audience as well as between members of the audience.
“The aim of ethics is, in a word, accountability”(Glasser & Ettema 2008)
Slide19July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level19Why it pays to invest in Media Accountability?Media accountability, transparency and responsiveness can have a positive impact on the (economic) performance, the public image and the political independence of the media company.
Slide20July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level20Why it pays to invest in Media Accountability?
Media accountability as a USP
Media accountability instruments are a unique selling proposition in the increasing media competition. In a saturated market, where the target audience’s time and attention is a limited resource, innovative and effective media accountability instruments arouse attention and sharpen the profile of a media company.
Media accountability as a flagship of quality journalism
Media accountability instruments are a distinctive feature between professional journalism and non-journalistic products like blogs or corporate publishing.
Media accountability as a tool for audience loyalty
Media accountability instruments can be effective measures to increase and regain public trust. Interacting with the stakeholders and aiming at drawing a more direct relationship to the company’s target group can in the long run increase audience loyalty.
Slide21July 2013
Session 7 – MAI on the organizational level21Reading assignment on news organization Media Accountability in theory
Allen, D. S. 2008. “The Trouble with Transparency. The Challenge of Doing Journalism Ethics in a Surveillance Society.”
Journalism Studies
, 9: 323-340.
García-Avilés, J.-A., J.-L. González-Esteban, A. Kaltenbrunner, M. Karmasin. 2011. “Self-regulation and the new challenges in journalism: Comparative study across European countries”
. Revista Latina de communication social
, 66: 2011.
http://www.revistalatinacs.org/11/art/940_Elche/19_EstebanEN.html
Groenhart, H. and J. Bardoel. 2012. “Conceiving the Transparency of Journalism: Moving towards a New Media Accountability Currency.”
Studies in Communication Sciences,
12
(1)
: 6-11.
Meier, K. 2009. “Transparency in Journalism. Credibility and Trustworthiness in the Digital Future.” Paper presented at
The Future of Journalism
. London.
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. 2008.
The Media Self-Regulation Guidebook
.
http://www.osce.org/fom/31497
Singer, J. B. 2006. “The Socially Responsible Existentia
list
.”
Journalism Studies
,
7
(1)
:
2-18
.