Abstract

The relation between infomediary sector and audience measurement is tight: six out of ten entities cited by Spanish companies as data & information source providers are closely related to this area of audience measurement. The media convergence leads to loss of value of some former studies. Alternative sources are used, whereas the consensus is being improved around the long-awaited measurement model of crossmedia. This article analyses the main audience measurement tools used by those Spanish media with more online readers, as well as checking out the existence of new professional profiles. The research employs a quantitative methodology based on surveys of eleven audience editors and digital analysts. Findings show that media are interested in monitoring the behavior of their users, although divergences are observed in the tools used, in the organizational structures and in the labels with which they name these new roles.

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.