“Fake triplets? Journalistic cultures across Polarized pluralist countries”
Celebrado en la Universidad de Porto (Portugal)
Based upon data collected from 300 interviewed news professionals across three Southern European countries, this paper compares the Portuguese, Spanish and Greek journalistic cultures, the influences perceived on news work as well as the degree of trust in social institutions. It aims to determine at what extent traditional values – such as neutrality and objectivity – as well as role perceptions – journalists’ position towards power and validation and information gathering -, common on Western journalism, apply in those distinct polarized pluralist model countries. The primary conclusion of this study is that general tendencies regarding the journalistic role, empiricism and work influences are found across the three Southern countries. In terms of interventionism, a more active role of Greek journalists is somewhat patent. However, general results show a low market orientation in all countries. Furthermore, Portuguese journalists apparently show a more objective journalistic belief in contrast with a more acceptance of interpretation by Spanish and Greek respondents. Despite the fact that universal ethics are widely accepted, whereas Portuguese journalists reject any form of exceptionism, Spanish professionals somewhat support a case-by-case analysis. In the ethics dimension, Greek findings point out to some acceptation towards the need to formulate personal codes of conduct, which is contradictory to other results.
Moreover, it seems that no social institution seems to perfectly meet the journalists’ expectations and who display an evident distrust on politicians and political parties. Another conclusion is that journalists’ perceptions of influences are from factors that are closer to the practice of their work. In our analysis, professional, organizational and procedural elements showed to interfere more on journalists’ routine.
MARTÍN OLLER ALONSO 