Abstract

This article discusses the opinions of Spanish journalists on the quality of their professional work and how it is being affected by the current economic, technological, commercial and professional context. The results are based on a questionnaire in which 363 Spanish journalists participated, all with a minimum of three years experience. Their answers reflect on the structure and behavior of media companies and current production of news. The article specifically focuses on exposing the journalists’ opinions on the quality of their work. The results show that 81% of the participants state that standards of quality in journalistic production has deteriorated. This deterioration is believed to be connected to the effect of the economic struggles in the sector. They suggested that the principle motives of this decline lie in the lack of economic and political independence, a lack of private investment and in the problems caused by technological changes. These situations all fall into the context of a precarious labor market within the sector. The article also links the results with academic works that have analyzed the quality of journalism over recent years. It offers, for the first time in the Spanish academic context, the Spanish journalists’ own point of view on these issues.

Abstract

The growing expansion of Internet access and mass-scale usage of social networking platforms and search engines have forced digital newspapers to deal with challenges, amongst which are the need to constantly update news, the increasing complexity of sources, the difficulty of exercising their function as gatekeepers in a fragmented environment in which the opinions, biases and preconceptions of pundits, their followers, Twitter users, etc. has taken on a new and decisive weight and the mounting pressure to publish certain news items simply because they sell. They must also share audiences with aggregators devoted to the business of disseminating content produced by digital news publishers, blogs and RSS feeds, which is chosen on the basis of search engine algorithms, the votes of users or the preferences of readers. The fact that these computerized systems of news distribution seldom employ the criteria upon which journalism is based suggests that the work of gatekeeping is being reframed in a way that progressively eliminates journalists from the process of deciding what is newsworthy. This study of these trends has entailed a 47 point assessment of 30 news aggregators currently providing syndicated content and eight semi-structured interviews with editors of quality mass-distribution digital newspapers published in the U.S., Spain and Portugal.

Abstract

In a profoundly changing context, media accountability systems have clearly undergone a process of evolution by taking advantage of the internet and web 2.0 possibilities. While traditional instruments have a limited impact on professional practice and are scarcely used by citizens, the digital environment allows new ways of self-regulation, transparency, and monitoring of news quality, in which users’ participation plays a decisive role. The article identifies, describes and categorizes the new online accountability systems that have emerged in the Spanish media landscape, examining those that operate both within and outside digital media. The analysis of the identified systems has allowed the elaboration of a first classification of the innovative accountability systems existing in Spain.

Abstract

El periodismo deportivo se ha caracterizado por una serie de deficiencias éticas que han soslayado los estándares normativos de la profesión. Los instrumentos de rendición de cuentas pueden jugar un papel valioso para superar estas disfunciones. Teniendo esto en mente, el artículo identifica y examina los mecanismos de rendición de cuentas más relevantes en el ámbito del periodismo deportivo, incluidos aquellos producidos de forma interna y externa a los medios. Los investigadores han inspeccionado los códigos éticos en esta área, los libros de estilo promovidos por los principales medios deportivos y las prescripciones formuladas por las agencias informativas, medios de información generalistas y organismos clave a nivel internacional. Prácticas innovadoras como los chats, redes sociales, defensores del lector en línea, observatorios y blogs también se han identificado como ejemplos positivos del cultivo de una conversación bidireccional sobre los estándares y la calidad de los contenidos deportivos. AbstractSports journalism has been characterized by a series of ethical deficiencies that have challenged the normative standards of the profession. Media accountability instruments can play an invaluable role in addressing these shortcomings. With this in mind, this article identifies and examines the most relevant accountability instruments in the field of sports journalism, including those produced within media organizations and those created outside of them. The researchers have scrutinized the specialized codes in this area and the stylebooks promoted by major sports media, as well as the recommendations proposed by news agencies, general information outlets and key stakeholders worldwide. Innovative practices such as chats, social media, online ombudsmen, observatories and blogs have also been identified as positive examples of the cultivation of a two-way conversation about the standards for and quality of sports content.