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JOS25
Is Journalism in Europe in Crisis? A ComparativeViewon Roles, Ethics andWorking Conditions as Reflected in theWorlds
of JournalismStudy
D. Dimitrakopoulou
2
2
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Thessaloniki, Greece
It is a widely shared belief that journalism is facing a fundamental crisis today – a crisis that is eroding both its business model and institutional role, not to
mention its alienating relationship with the public.The current“existential crisis of journalism”(McNair, 2013) calls for a study of the redefinition of the role,
the values and the professional practices and conditions of journalism. Although the crisis of the business model of journalism has become a much discussed
and studied issue today, “the fundamental challenges that news production faces today are not monetary, but reflect the changing mode and structures
of production” (Picard 2014: 276). These challenges stimulate the emergence of new practices, norms and structures of journalism as profession and (re)
shape journalists’professional worldviews. Cultural and historical contexts, on the other hand, determine the character of continuity of journalistic phenom‑
ena throughout the time and space. In an era of fragmented audiences and personalised information, the debate on the transformation of the profession
seems more important than ever and calls for a refocus on the conception of journalism. At which level has journalism adapted to structural, technological
and economic changes? Is the journalistic paradigm ‘continuously refractured’ (Broersma, 2013: 29) or is it constantly reinventing itself by redefining pro‑
fessional practices, norms and values? Starting from the standpoint that we need more research to conceptualise the dynamics of change in journalism,
our panel aspires to address the main challenges that the profession faces through the presentation of selected results of the Words of Journalism Study
survey conducted in 2012–2015. This large international and comparative research project aims to address the most crucial and pressing issues regarding
the current state of journalism. The proposed panel focuses on the changing professional roles and identities, ethics, autonomy and journalistic work prac‑
tices and processes in selected European countries. The approach of the panel is also informed by the current financial crisis that is unfolding throughout
the European continent and has a massive impact on journalism as well. Three main areas of interest are featured: a. the transitional role of journalism in
a constantly changing globalised environment, b. the redefinition of professional values and ethics; c. the crisis that the profession and the business model
of journalism are facing.The presentations focus on selected countries that represent different regions in Europe, aiming to reflect the comparative character
of the research project and suggest a shared framework for the understanding of the on-going transformation of journalism across Europe. References:
Picard, Robert G. 2014.‘Twilight of New Dawn of Journalism?’Digital Journalism, 2(3), 273–283. Marcel, Broersma. 2013.‘A refractured paradigm. Journal‑
ism, hoaxes and the challenge of trust’. In C. Peters & M. J. Broersma. Rethinking Journalism: Trust and Participation in a Transformed News Landscape. New
York: Routledge (kindle edition). McNair, B. 2013.‘Trust, Truth and Objectivity: Sustaining quality journalism in the era of the content-generating user’. In C.
Peters & M. J. Broersma. Rethinking Journalism: Trust and Participation in a Transformed News Landscape. New York: Routledge (kindle edition).
PN 279
Introducing the Worlds of Journalism Study
T. Hanitzsch
1
1
LMU Munich, Department of Communication Studies and Media Research, Munich, Germany
TheWorlds of Journalism Study (WJS) is an academically driven project, originally founded to regularly assess the state of journalism throughout the world.
The Study’s primary objective is to help journalism researchers, practitioners, media managers and policy makers better understand worldviews and chang‑
es that are taking place in the professional orientations of journalists, the conditions and limitations under which they operate, as well as the social functions
of journalism in a changing world. The WJS is a joint effort of researchers from more than 60 countries, which makes the study the largest cross-national
endeavour of its kind in the field of communication research. Between 2012 and 2015, theWJS network carried out representative surveys of working jour‑
nalists in all participating countries. Data collection was based on a common methodological framework and a cross-national, standardized questionnaire.
This first paper will introduce to the background of the study, the way it is organized and has evolved since its foundation in 2007, as well as its theoretical
and methodological framework.
PN 280
Journalists’ Views on ‘Ethical Journalism’ in Estonia, Finland and Norway: Ideals vs. Reality
J. Hovden
1
, E. Lauk
2
, J. Väliverronen
3
1
University of Bergen, Department of Information Science and Media Studies, Bergen, Norway
2
University of Jyväskylä, Department of Communication, Jyväskylä, Finland
3
University of Tampere, School of Communication- Media and Theatre, Tampere, Finland
The changing conditions for doing journalismhave also affected journalistic ethics and patterns of media accountability.The prime example of recent chang‑
es in Europe is from the United Kingdom where the News International phone hacking scandal resulted in a grave questioning of journalists’ethicality and
a revamp of the self-regulation system (The Leveson Inquiry, 2012). Elsewhere in Europe, there has been no need for such drastic measures but pressures to
reform and/or redefine journalistic ethics and media accountability exist nonetheless. Such is the case even in the Nordic countries where the current media
accountability mechanisms have been deemed to be most efficient (Fielden, 2012; Lauk & Denton, 2011; Kirchner, 2012). The Nordic concept of media
accountability relies heavily on the idea of responsible journalistic practices by individual journalists and news organizations. These practices are based
on professional ethics and values usually formulated in national Codes of Ethics, which are widely accepted by journalists and monitored by national Press
Councils. Despite such uniformity, the interpretations and practical implementations of professional ethics and values have always been subject to variation
due to contextual factors. In the current state of flux, however, variation is arguably growing and giving rise to conflicting interpretations and practices
(Carpentier, 2005).This presentation looks at journalists’perceptions of professional values and ethics in Norway, Finland and Estonia - which all have similar
media accountability mechanisms, but different practices – to enhance our understanding of how much impact the different contextual factors have on
the professional values and ethics. Data from the survey conducted by theWorlds of Journalism Study project in the three countries in 2012–2015 indicate