Media Accountability in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe By Sergio Splendore

1. Session 12 • Media Accountability • in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe • By Sergio Splendore Photo: imago/ecomedia/robert fishman

2. Road map for Session No. 12 Hallin and Mancini Features and MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe 3 Journalists’ perceptions 1 2 Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

3. MediterraneanModel – General Features Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

4. Media accountability instruments: a typology high degree of institutionalization Press councils Codes of ethics Research Training NGOs Letters to the editor Ombuds-men Media journalism Online comments journalism-external journalism-internal Entertain-ment formats Media criticism in social networks Citizen blogs Journalist blogs low degree of institutionalization Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

5. INSIDE JOURNALISM: • HIGH DEGREE OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

6. OUTSIDE JOURNALISM: • HIGH DEGREE OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

7. INSIDE JOURNALISM: • LOW DEGREE OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

8. OUTSIDE JOURNALISM: • LOW DEGREES OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

9. Media Accountability Instruments: How to locate the Mediterranean countries high degree of institutionalization journalism-external journalism-internal low degree of institutionalization Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

10. Central Eastern Europe Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

11. INSIDE JOURNALISM: • HIGH DEGREES OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

12. OUTSIDE JOURNALISM: • HIGH DEGREES OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

13. INSIDE JOURNALISM: • LOW DEGREES OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

14. OUTSIDE JOURNALISM: • LOW DEGREES OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

15. Media Accountability Instruments: CEE high degree of institutionalization ESTONIA: two press councils, but no ombudsman ROMANIA: mockery on journalists’ mistakes journalism-external journalism-internal POLAND: lively online debate low degree of institutionalization Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

16. Journalists‘ perceptions MediaAcT survey data Index of support and impact goes from 0 to 1.0 Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

17. Journalists‘ perceptions MediaAcT survey data Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

18. Journalists‘ support and perception of influence of MAI • With the exception of Estonia, the journalists’ support for MAI is generally quite high in the models here considered, between 0.7 and 0.8. • The support does not appear to be connected to the perceived impact: countries like Spain and Italy – which credit the MAIs with less impact – register a high score on support. • In this sense one can argue that ‘accountability’ is a widely shared and acknowledged ‘general’ value by Mediterranean and Central/Eastern journalists. Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

19. Journalists‘ support and perception of influenceofonline MAI The scores relative to the online MAIs are lower overall in both the support and the perceived impact. However, here the countries display a reverse ‘behaviour’: the lower the perceived impact (Italy, Romania, Poland and France), the higher is the support. In general, in spite of the distinction between established and online MAIs (due also to the different penetration of the Internet), most journalists in most countries showed wide support for accountability principles. Among the journalists from all of the countries there is a shared view, a common sentiment, which crosses all of the various journalistic cultures. Session 12 - MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

20. Due to the similarity of media systems and the general support among journalists, the diversity of the impact of MAI and the difference of media accountability systems, must be found in the diverse cultural environments of the different countries. The differences, but also the similarities, show that one can find significant attitudes of journalists on professional principles (like the publication of ethical codes, or responding to users’ comments) in countries where journalism training is less established and journalists are less expected to be responsible (like the countries analysed here). Accountability is a culturally-charged concept and its use and implementation can be seen as functions of a particular national culture. For example, it is hardly a coincidence that the accountability of public officials, politicians and institutions offering public services are carved in the laws regulating these domains in countries with a Protestant socio-political historical background, while it is only loosely positioned in the legislations of Catholic countries. Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe

21. References • Hallin, D. C. and P. Mancini. 2004. Comparing Media Systems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. • Hallin, D. C. and P. Mancini, eds. 2012. Comparing Media Systems Beyond the Western World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. • Hanitzsch T., F. Hanusch, C. Mellado, M. Anikina, R. Berganza, I. Cangoz, M. Coman et al. 2010. “Mapping Journalism Culture Across Nations. A • Comparative Study of 18 Countries.” Journalism Studies 12: 273–293. • Hanitzsch, T. 2007. ‘‘Deconstructing Journalism Culture: towards a universal theory.” Communication Theory 17: 367–385. • Örnebring, H. 2009. “Comparative European Journalism: the state of current research.” Working paper 1/2009. Oxford: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Accessed May 2, 2013. http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/Publications/Compara­tive_European_Journalism_HO_Working_Paper_01.pdf • Örnebring, H. 2012. “Comparative Journalism Research – An Overview.” Sociology Compass 6: 769–780. • Shoemaker, P. J. and S. D. Reese. 1996. Mediating the Message. Theories of Influences on Mass Media Content. New York: Longman. • Zelizer, B. 2005. “The Culture of Journalism.” In Mass Media and Society. 4th Edition, edited by J. Curran and M. Gurevitch, 198–214. London: Edward Arnold. Session 12 – MA in Southern and Central/Eastern Europe