guidelines in balance in choices of sources - the future of journalism cardiff 2013
DESCRIPTION
Balance in the choice and use of sources is an international standard of quality journalism. Quality reporting implies traditionally a “presentation of conflicting possibilities”. In this pilot study balance in source selection is regarded as an operationalization of objective, impartial journalism, as a ‘ritual of objectivity’. Standard practices regarding information gathering and reporting are changing. The increasing workload of journalists might affect the search for sources with different points of view and the importance of balance. Meanwhile ‘rituals of objectivity’ seem to change into ’rituals of transparency’, at least in an online environment, where speed is more important. This might also change routines in the selection of sources. This pilot study explores if and how balance is defined, operationalized and promoted in journalism textbooks and editorial style guides & guidelines and editorial code of conducts from five European countries. The comparison of Dutch, German, Spanish, British and Finish instructions for journalists - and journalist-to- be-, on the choice of sources, shows a variety of practices, from strict rules on when to include ‘the other side’, to general recommendations to treat friends and opponents equally. This pilot study suggests that there are no significant differences between the European countries, although an internationalization of the notion of balance could not be demonstrated. The study could not - yet? - show that new digital practices of source selection are conversed to professional guidelines.TRANSCRIPT
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