Abstract

This article reports and discusses quantitative data obtained from a survey of the Spanish population ages 12 to 18, as well as qualitative observations obtained from various discussion groups on the use of the internet as a means of obtaining useful information for everyday life, particularly in two spheres: leisure and formal education. The data show that young people use the internet mainly in informal and private spaces and, to a lesser extent, in formal educational environments. For this population group, the internet is used and is worth exploring to the extent that the information found is useful for social and leisure purposes, while educational benefits are taken for granted. Lastly, we point out that the young develop their own skills for evaluating information.

Abstract

The tendency towards the instantaneity of information, due in part to the irruption of social networks into journalistic discourse, has had a direct impact on the quality and ethical considerations of professional practice. Closely related to this phenomenon is the participation of the audiences in configuring the news, posing new challenges to the profession that require measures and skills that cannot always be sought in classic codes of ethics. New principles are, therefore, needed to guide daily practice. In this article a decalogue of deontological guidelines applicable to professional work in digital journalism is proposed.