Accountability of the media as seen by Spanish citizens

  1. Juan-Carlos Suárez-Villegas 1
  2. Ruth Rodríguez-Martínez 2
  3. Jesús Díaz-Campo 3
  1. 1 Universidad de Sevilla
    info

    Universidad de Sevilla

    Sevilla, España

    ROR https://ror.org/03yxnpp24

  2. 2 Universitat Pompeu Fabra
    info

    Universitat Pompeu Fabra

    Barcelona, España

    ROR https://ror.org/04n0g0b29

  3. 3 Universidad Internacional de La Rioja
    info

    Universidad Internacional de La Rioja

    Logroño, España

    ROR https://ror.org/029gnnp81

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Journal:
Comunicación y sociedad = Communication & Society

ISSN: 2386-7876

Year of publication: 2021

Issue Title: Special Issue: Visual motifs and representations of power in the public sphere

Volume: 34

Issue: 2

Pages: 177-191

Type: Article

DOI: 10.15581/003.34.2.177-191 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openOpen access editor

More publications in: Comunicación y sociedad = Communication & Society

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Abstract

This article analyses the opinions of citizens on the core values of the so-called Media accountability: truthfulness, independence, transparency, public participation and respect for peoples’ rights. It also analyses citizens’ perceptions of various deontological instruments to measure the effectiveness of compliance with these ethical values. The qualitative methodology used to carry out this analysis is part of the R+D+I research project “Accountability and Journalistic Cultures project in Spain. Impact and proposal of good practices in the Spanish media” (MediaACES), which has been achieved through six focus groups in different Spanish cities. The results of the analysis reflect the critical spirit of citizens towards the media due to the following factors: the absence of objectivity, the mixture of economic interests with their editorial line and an ambiguous participation of the public, which requires a better definition of their role within the information process. The conclusions derived from this analysis allow us to reflect on several aspects: among others, the competition in a deregulated market leads to infotainment and affects the quality of information, as well as the rights of people affected by the news. At the same time, the excess of information channels leads to greater disinformation, under the appearance of a spontaneous pluralism that is superfluous. Ethics, therefore, seems to be a necessary requirement to differentiate professional journalism from other inappropriate information channels and to guarantee the right to information of citizens.

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Funding information

The results of this article have been developed within the framework of the MediaACES Research Project: “Accountability and journalistic cultures in Spain. Impact and proposal of good practices in the Spanish media”, funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Mineco/Feder, UE, ref.: CSO2015-66404-P) within the State Programme for the Promotion of Scientific and Technical Research of Excellence. https://mediaaccountabilityspain.com.

Funders

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