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MAI on the organizational level
Part 1 – Theory
By Huub Evers, Harmen Groenhart & Klaus Bichler
Introduction
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:
1.
2.
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?
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Question 1:
What is Media Accountability
on the level of media organizations?
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What 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.”
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News organizations are accountable to four categories of
stakeholders and criteria:
1.
Accountability to the state
- law
- annual report (PSB broadcasters)
- ethnic minorities policy
2.
Accountability to the market
- owners
- advertisers
- customers
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3. Professional accountability
- quality standards
- ethics guidelines
- newsroom rules
4. Public accountability
- dealing with complaints
- correction boxes
- editorial blogs
- ombudsmen
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What 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
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Instruments for internal criticism
• Newsroom debates
• Personal communication between managers and journalists
• Ombudsmen and in-house critics
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Instruments 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
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•
Process transparency: what goes on behind the scene?
blogs
tweets
Facebook
correction box
column/letter chief editor
annual report
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Ethics Codes
•
•
•
•
Newsroom codes or guidelines
Press Council codes
Codes of national union of journalists
Codes of International Federation of Journalists
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Ombudsman
•
•
•
•
See Session No. 5 & 6
Ombudsman, readers’ representative, public editor
Why appoint an ombudsman?
Task, competence
Key question: independence
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Instruments for critical audience interaction
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
social media
audience participation in newsroom production
letters to the editor
user comments online
correction button
media watchblogs (citizens)
ombudsman
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Question 2:
What is the use of Media Accountability
on the level of media organizations?
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What 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.
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Normative: 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.
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Normative: 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.
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Normative: 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)
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Why 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.
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Why 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.
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Reading 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 Existentialist.” Journalism Studies, 7(1): 2-18.
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