Proposal for a code of good practice for reporting the European Union in local media

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12795/Ambitos.2024.i66.01

Keywords:

local journalism, quality information, transfer, good practices, European Union

Abstract

The European Union is a political actor with a great influence in the territory of the different European local areas. However, the relevance of the EU institutions has not traditionally been accompanied by appropriate journalistic coverage, especially at local and regional level, which deepens the existence of a democratic and communicative deficit. Considering the intrinsic social function of local media and the concept of quality journalism, this manuscript addresses the building of a decalogue of recommendations based on a mixed research strategy on case studies, combining semi-structured interviews and content analysis. The objective is to provide an analytical tool of good practices, which allows evaluating the quality of the news media treatment of the European project and at the same time serves as a transfer instrument. Based on empirical results on the scarcity and fragmentation of European information, the current proposal defines eight variables on which to act, considering the collision between the positive self-assessment of journalists and poorly specialized practices on the EU. Our main contribution aims to analyze and improve the relevance of local journalistic content, in accordance with the purpose of building a community of citizens duly informed about the European project. Thus, the suggested code of good practice means an ideal model for the communicative development of the European Public Sphere.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Author Biographies

Rubén Rivas-de-Roca, King Juan Carlos University

Rubén Rivas-de-Roca is Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication Sciences at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC). D. in Communication with international mention and “cum laude” by the interuniversity program of the universities of Cadiz, Huelva, Malaga and Seville (2022). Accredited as Associate Professor Doctor by ANECA. Previously, he was Assistant Professor Doctor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Sociology at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, as well as Interim Substitute Professor and Research Staff in Training (PIF) (2018-2022) in the Department of Journalism II at the University of Seville. He has been a visiting researcher at Universität Leipzig (Germany), Cardiff University (UK) and Universidade da Beira Interior (Portugal). His lines of research focus on the study of local information, journalism and political communication, with special interest in the European Union. He is a member of the Novos Medios research group.

Mar García-Gordillo, University of Seville

Mar García-Gordillo is a professor (accredited to full professor) in the area of Journalism in the Faculty of Communication at the University of Seville and a member of the “Communication & Social Sciences” Research Group (SEJ-619). She has served as General Director of Communication at the University of Seville, Vice-Dean of Internships and Companies at the Faculty of Communication and as Director of the Secretariat of Internships in Companies and Employment at the University of Seville. She teaches in the Master's Degree in Institutional and Political Communication and the Master's Degree in European Studies at the University of Seville. Her research areas revolve around communication and political journalism, with a special focus on international politics and the European Union.

References

Anderson, P. J., Ogola, G., & Williams, M. (2013). The Future of Quality News Journalism: A Cross-Continental Analysis. Routledge.

Baisnée, O. (2014). Reporting the European Union: A Study in Journalistic Boredom. En R. Kuhn, & R. K. Nielsen (Eds.), Political journalism in transition: Western Europe in a comparative perspective (pp. 131-149). I.B. Tauris.

Berganza-Conde, R. (2008). Medios de comunicación, “espiral del cinismo” y desconfianza política. Estudio de caso de la cobertura mediática de los comicios electorales europeos. ZER-Revista de estudios de comunicación, 13(25), 121-139. https://bit.ly/3UXPKd6

Bijsmans, P., & Altides, C. (2007). ‘Bridging the Gap’ between EU Politics and Citizens? The European Commission, National Media and EU Affairs in the Public Sphere. European Integration, 29(3), 323-340. https://doi.org/10.1080/07036330701442315

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Caiani, M., & Guerra, S. (2017). Euroscepticism, Democracy and the Media: Communicating Europe, Contesting Europe. Palgrave Macmillan.

Carson, A., Muller, D., Martin, J., & Simons, M. (2016). A new symbiosis? Opportunities and challenges to hyperlocal journalism in the digital age. Media International Australia, 161(1), 132-146. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X16648390

Chaparro, M., Olmedo, S., & Gabilondo, V. (2016). El indicador de Rentabilidad Social en Comunicación (IRSCOM): medir para transformar. CIC. Cuadernos de Información y Comunicación, (21), 47-62. https://doi.org/10.5209/CIYC.52944

de Vries, C. (2018). Euroscepticism and the Future of European Integration. Oxford University Press.

Fernández-Barrero, Á., Rivas-de-Roca, R., & Pérez-Curiel, C. (2024). Disinformation and Local Media in the Iberian Context: How to Protect News Credibility. Journalism and Media, 5(1), 65-77. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia5010005

Frangonikolopoulos, C. A., & Papapadopoulou, L. (2021). Greek Correspondents and EU: Organic Critiques and Proposed Remedies to Address EU’s Communication Deficit. Journalism Practice, 15(8), 1108-1128. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2020.1772854

Gattermann, K. (2018). Mediated Personalization of Executive European Union Politics: Examining Patterns in the Broadsheet Coverage of the European Commission, 1992-2016. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 23(3), 345-366. https://doi.org/10.1177/1940161218779231

Goldberg, A. C., Brosius, A., & de-Vreese, C. H. (2022). Policy responsibility in the multilevel EU structure – The (non-)effect of media reporting on citizens’ responsibility attribution across four policy areas. Journal of European Integration, 44(3), 381-409. https://doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2020.1863959

Hallin, D. C., & Mancini, P. (2004). Comparing Media Systems: Three Models of Media and Politics. Cambridge University Press.

Handstein, H. (2010). Qualität im lokalen Zeitungsjournalismus. Theoretischer Entwurf und empirische Fallstudie. AVM Akademische Verlagsgemeinschaft.

Hanitzsch, T. (2007). Deconstructing Journalism Culture: Toward a Universal Theory. Communication Theory, (17), 367-385. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2007.00303.x

Hanusch, F. (2015). A Different Breed Altogether? Distinctions between Local and Metropolitan Journalism Cultures. Journalism Studies, 16(6), 816-833. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2014.950880

Henkel, I., Thurman, N., & Deffner, V. (2019). Comparing Journalism Cultures in Britain and Germany: Confrontation, Contextualization, Conformity. Journalism Studies, 20(14), 1995-2013. https://doi.org./10.1080/1461670X.2018.1551067

Hess, K., & Waller, L. (2017). Local journalism in a digital world. Palgrave MacMillan.

Humprecht, E., Castro-Herrero, L., Blassnig, S., Brüggemann, M., & Engesser, S. (2022). Media systems in the digital age: An empirical comparison of 30 countries. Journal of Communication, 72(2), 145-164. https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqab054

Jackson, D., Thorsen, E., & Wring, D. (Eds.) (2016). EU Referendum Analysis 2016: Media, Voters and the Campaign. The Centre for the Study of Journalism Culture and Community Bournemouth University. https://bit.ly/3UZEAVp

Jandura, O., & Friedrich, K. (2014). The quality of political media coverage. En C. Reinemann (Ed.), Handbook of Communication Science: Political Communication (pp. 351-373). De Gruyter Mouton.

Jenkins, J., & Graves, L. (2022). Do More with Less: Minimizing Competitive Tensions in Collaborative Local Journalism. Digital Journalism, first online. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2022.2026237

Jenkins, J., & Nielsen, R. K. (2020). Proximity, Public Service, and Popularity: A Comparative Study of How Local Journalists View Quality News. Journalism Studies, 21(2), 236-253. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2019.1636704

Jensen, K. B. (Ed.) (2020). A handbook of media and communication research: qualitative and quantitative methodologies (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781138492905

Jerónimo, P., Correia, J. C., & Gradim, A. (2022). Are We Close Enough? Digital Challenges to Local Journalists. Journalism Practice, 16(5), 813-827. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2020.1818607

Lecheler, S., Gattermann, K., & Aaldering, L. (2023). Disinformation and the Brussels bubble: EU correspondents’ concerns and competences in a digital age. Journalism, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849231188259

Lloyd, J., & Marconi, C. (2014). Reporting the EU: News, media and the European institutions. I.B. Tauris.

Masini, A., Van-Aelst, P., Zerback, T., Reinemann, C., Mancini, P., Mazzoni, M, Damiani, M., & Coen, S. (2018). Measuring and Explaining the Diversity of Voices and Viewpoints in the News. Journalism Studies, 19(15), 2324-2343. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2017.1343650

Morlandstø, L., & Mathisen, B. R. (2023). Blind spots and diversity in a local media landscape. Journalism, 24(12), 2575-2592. https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849221119603

Napoli, P. M., Stonbely, S., McCollough, K., & Renninger, B. (2019). Local Journalism and the Information Needs of Local Communities: Toward a Scalable Assessment Approach. Journalism Practice, 13(8), 1024-1028. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2019.1647110

Neff, T., & Pickard, V. (2023). Building Better Local Media Systems: A Comparative Policy Discourse Analysis of Initiatives to Renew Journalism Around the World. Journalism Studies, 24(15), 1877-1897. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2023.2253928

Negreira-Rey, M., Vázquez-Herrero, J., & López-García, X. (2023). No People, No News: News Deserts and Areas at Risk in Spain. Media and Communication, 11(3), 293-303. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6727

Nielsen, R. K. (2015). Local Newspapers as Keystone Media: The Increased Importance of Diminished Newspapers for Local Political Information Environments. En R. K. Nielsen (Ed.), Local Journalism: the decline of newspapers and the rise of digital media (pp. 51-72). I.B. Tauris.

Nienstedt, H.-W., Kepplinger, H. M., & Quiring, O. (2015). What Went Wrong and Why? Roots, Responsibilities, and Solutions of the Euro Crisis in European Newspapers. En R. G. Picard (Ed.), The Euro Crisis in the Media: Journalistic Coverage of Economic Crisis and European Institutions (pp. 19-44). I. B. Tauris.

Risse, T. (2015). European Public Spheres: Politics Is Back. Cambridge University Press.

Rivas-de-Roca, R. (2022). Calidad y modelos de negocio en los medios de proximidad. Estudio de casos en Alemania, España y Portugal. Estudos em Comunicacão, (34), 81-96. https://doi.org/10.25768/1646-4979n34-07

Rivas-de-Roca, R., García-Gordillo, M., & Caro-González F. J. (2023). Calidad e información local: propuesta de construcción de indicadores internacionales. En D. Palau-Sampio, J. F. Gutiérrez Lozano, & M. García-Gordillo (Eds.), Calidad periodística. Retos en tiempos de desinformación, precariedad y polarización (pp. 73-87). Comunicación Social Ediciones y Publicaciones.

Romero-Rodríguez, L. M., De-Casas-Moreno, P., & Torres-Toukoumidis, Á. (2016). Dimensiones e indicadores de la calidad informativa en los medios digitales. Comunicar, (49), 91-100. https://doi.org/10.3916/C49-2016-09

Seoane Pérez, F. (2013). Political Communication in Europe: The Cultural and Structural Limits of the European Public Sphere. Palgrave Macmillan.

Shah, D. V. (2016). Conversation is the soul of democracy: Expression effects, communication mediation, and digital media. Communication and the Public, 1(1), 12-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/2057047316628310

Splendore, S., & Curini, L. (2020). Proximity Between Citizens and Journalists as a Determinant of Trust in the Media. An Application to Italy. Journalism Studies, 21(9), 1167-1185. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2020.1725601

Tuñón-Navarro, J., & Bouza-García, L. (Eds.) (2021). Europa en tiempos de desinformación y pandemia: periodismo y política paneuropeos ante la crisis del Covid-19 y las fake news. Comares.

Tuñón-Navarro, J., Oleart, Á., & Bouza-García, L. (2019). Actores Europeos y Desinformación: la disputa entre el factchecking, las agendas alternativas y la geopolítica. Revista de Comunicación, 18(2), 245-260. https://doi.org/10.26441/RC18.2-2019-A12

Usher, N., & Kim-Leffingwell, S. (2023). How Loud Does the Watchdog Bark? A Reconsideration of Losing Local Journalism, News Nonprofits, and Political Corruption. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/19401612231186939

Uth, B. (2024). The quality oriented, the audience engagers, the transparent: Types of editorial trust-building in German news outlets. Journalism, 25(2), 391-408. https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849221141522

van-Spanje, J., & de-Vreese, C. (2014). Europhile Media and Eurosceptic Voting: Effects of News Media Coverage on Eurosceptic Voting in the 2009 European Parliament. Political Communication, 31(2), 325-354. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2013.828137

Zurbano-Berenguer, B., & García-Gordillo, M. (2017). Propuesta metodológica para la evaluación de la calidad deontológica de las noticias sobre violencias contra las mujeres. Communication & Society, 30(1), 73-85. https://doi.org/10.15581/003.30.1.73-85

Downloads

Published

2024-10-15

How to Cite

Rivas-de-Roca, R., & García-Gordillo, M. (2024). Proposal for a code of good practice for reporting the European Union in local media. Ámbitos. Revista Internacional De Comunicación, (66), 13–32. https://doi.org/10.12795/Ambitos.2024.i66.01

Issue

No. 66 (2024): Autumn Edition

Section

MONOGRAPH

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Rubén Rivas-de-Roca, Mar García-Gordillo

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Ámbitos. Revista Internacional de Comunicación is an open access journal, which means that all content is freely available at no charge to the user or their institution. Users may read, download, copy, distribute, distribute, print, search or link to the full text of articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without seeking prior permission from the publisher or author. This definition of open access is in accordance with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI).

Unless otherwise noted, all content in the electronic edition is distributed under a "Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License". You can consult the informative version and legal text of the licence here. This should be expressly stated in this way where necessary.

In case of acceptance of the manuscript, the authors cede the rights of the work for its publication to Ámbitos. Revista Internacional de Comunicación under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license contract (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). The authors retain copyright and third parties are authorised to copy, distribute and make use of the work, provided they comply with the terms and conditions set out in the licence

  • Cite the authorship and the original source of publication (journal, publisher and URL of the work).
  • Do not use them for commercial purposes.
  • If you remix, transform or create from the material, you must release your contributions under the same license as the original.

More information can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es

Views
  • Abstract 75
  • PDF (Español (España)) 49
  • HTML (Español (España)) 3