Guidelines on balance in choice of sources: a European comparison
Els DiekerhofSenior lecturer Utrecht School of Journalism/Research fellow J-lab University of Applied Sciences UtrechtThe Netherlands [email protected]
storytelling
information gathering
diekerhof
use and choice of sources
balance
diekerhof
Balance1) complicated issue
2) accused individuals (or institutions) must be heard
“both (or more) sides should have equal time and equal space to put their arguments”(Frost, 2000)
objectivity
truth
impartialty
bias transparency
Cross-national analysis
Spain, Finland, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany
14 editorial guidelines & styleguides7 textbooks
RQ
Which practical recommendations,guidelines, instructions and rules are given to (future) journalists regarding balance in the use and choice of sources in different European countries?
Textbooks
no significant national differences
most books make no difference
complicated issue, accused person
context:
ethical: explaining why balance is important
practical: how-to
Editorial guidelines & stylebooks
variety, no significant national differences
public broadcasting organizations specific:
BBC: diversity
“variations between urban and rural, older and younger, poorer and wealthier, the
innovative and the status quo, etc.”
els diekerhof
Cosmopolitan journalism practice?
New practices? Fast one-sided stories vs slow(er) balanced stories? Linking to ‘the other side’?
Utrecht School of Journalism | Faculty Communication & Journalism | J * lab
