1. COMPARISON BETWEEN THE JOURNALISTIC CULTURES OF SWITZERLAND, SPAIN AND ECUADOR: JOURNALISTS’ PERCEPTION OF PROFESSIONAL ROLES AND THE CONCEPT OF OBJECTIVITY Martín Oller Alonso PhD University of Americas (UDLA) Quito, Ecuador SGKM Annual Conference Bern, Switzerland 13-14 March, 2015

2. INTRODUCTION In this paper we are analysing journalists’ perception of their professional roles and the concept of objectivity within the journalistic cultures of Switzerland, Spain and Ecuador. The roles of journalists within societies are more and more relevant nowadays, not only in the media system, also in the social, economic and political systems. Therefore, they play a central role in democratic processes (Deuze, 2002). To better understand their professional work and the production of contents we need to analyse the journalistic culture based on different criteria and dimensions (Hanitzsch, 2007). SGKM Annual Conference

3. JOURNALISTIC CULTURE OF ECUADOR, SPAIN AND SWITZERLAND This is a theoretical project that has been applied empirically to prove its efficiency. The empirical field work is based on a qualitative technique – in-depth interviews - and an exploratory study which has attempted to construct a model to theoretically analyse these journalistic cultures. This model is supported by the study of different levels of influence and the contexts of these three journalistic cultures. It has been applied to a sample of 70 journalists from 15 news and media organizations. https://culturasperiodisticas.wordpress.com/ SGKM Annual Conference

4. PROYECTS Figure 1: Projects of Journalistic Cultures Source: Author´s elaboration The empirical research will be amplified in the future with two more international projects: 1)Journalistic Role Performance around the Globe (JRP)Journalistic Role Performance around the Globe (JRP) 2)Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS)Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS)

5. RESULTS SPANISH JOURNALISTS interventionist rollopposed to the government tend to have an interventionist roll and are opposed to the government public as consumers see their public as consumers due to influence of the media market subjectivismreject objectivity as an ideal tend to subjectivism and reject objectivity as an ideal SWISS JOURNALISTS passive objective tend to be a passive and objective (there are two opposite ways) not watchdogscritical position they do not see themselves as watchdogs but they have a critical position towards the centers of power public as citizens See their public as citizens (but not the young journalists) ECUADORIAN JOURNALISTS neutral impartial professionals believe themselves to be neutral and impartial professionals objectivity as philosophical is not a goal low influence media market objectivity as philosophical concept is not a goal and low influence from media market inform citizensrole of diffuser mobilizing and adversary accent must inform the citizens, play the role of diffuser but with a mobilizing and adversary accent WHY? SGKM Annual Conference

6. CONTEXT SGKM Annual Conference CULTURE JOURNALISTIC CULTURE WESTERN JOURNALISTIC CULTURE JOURNALISTIC CULTURE of SPAIN SWITZERLAND ECUADOR INTERMEDIATE JOURNALISTIC CULTURE Figure 2: Multilevel models of Journalistic Culture Source: Author´s elaboration

7. CULTURA PERIODÍSTICA CULTURE JOURNALISTIC CULTURE WESTERN – INTERMEDIATE JOURNALISTIC CULTURE LATINAMERICA- MEDITERRANEAN CENTRAL EUROPE ECUADOR, SPAIN SWITZSERLAND JOURNALISTS CONTEXT SGKM Annual Conference Figure 3: Multilevel models of Intermedia Journalistic Culture Source: Author´s elaboration

8. MULTILEVEL MODELS SGKM Annual Conference IndividualsMedia routinesMedia organizationMedia structure Society (Policy & Economy) Culture & Ideology McQuail (1983)      Ettema & Whitney (1982)    Chaffee & Berger (1987)    McQuail & Windahl (1993)  Weischenberg (1992,1995)     Reus (1998)     Shoemaker & Resse (1996)      Esser (1998)     Whitney et al. (2004)    Grossberg et al. (2006)     Donsbach (2000,2008)     Preston & Metykova (2009)      Hanitzsch et al. (2010)       Oller & Meier (2012)       TABLE 1: Synopsis of multilevel models Source: Author´s elaboration of data from Hanitzsch (2009: 156 )

9. ORGANIC ANALYSIS SGKM Annual Conference Trunk Leaves Roots Branches “Much of what we study in nature is multilevel, so we must use the theories and analysis techniques that are also multilevel. If we do not this, we have serious problems” (Luke, 2004: 4) MULTILEVEL MODELS +

10. ORGANIC MULTILEVEL MODEL SGKM Annual Conference SYSTEMS LEVEL INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL ACTOR LEVEL POLITICAL SYSTEM (ROLE, PARALLELISM) ECONOMIC SYSTEM (MARKET STRUCTURE) PROFESSIONALIZATION (ACADEMY) HISTORICAL/SOCIAL SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY MEDIA SYSTEM MEDIA ORGANIZATION MEDIA STRUCTURE MEDIA RUTINES / PROCESSES EDITORIAL LINE /RULES PROFILE JOURNALISTS SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ECONOMIC FACTORS POLITICAL FACTORS PROFESSIONAL/PERSONAL ROLES Source: Author´s elaboration Figure 4: Organic multilevel model (OLLER, 2015)

11. ORGANIC ANALYSIS OF SWISS JOURNALISTS passive neutral 1) tend to be passive and neutral public as citizens 2) See their public as citizens (but not the young journalists) not watchdogscritical position 3) they do not see themselves as watchdogs but they have a critical position towards the centers of power 4) Objectivity (there are two opposite ways) SGKM Annual Conference

12. ORGANIC CONTEXT ANALYSIS SGKM Annual Conference Figure 5: Organic analysis of Swiss Journalists Source: Author´s elaboration UPPER MIDDLE CLASS / HIGH SALARIES DESCENDING GOOD PROFESSIONAL CONDITIONS MODERATE LEFT OR RIGHT YOUNG / OLD JOURNALISTS REGIONAL AND CANTONAL DIFFERENCES NO SPECIFIC JOURNALISTIC FORMATION SELFREGULATION HIGH STANDARIZATION PRINT / BROADCAST MEDIA HORIZONTAL / TRANSVERSE PROCESSES POLITICAL EDITORIAL LINE – PRINT MEDIA SOCIAL EDITORIAL LINE – BROADCAST MEDIA SALES SUBSCRIPTION / HIGH PROFESSIONALIZATION STRONG DEMOCRACY ECONOMIC STABILITY HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL STABILITY STRONG PARALLELISM – PRINT MEDIA INCREASED PRECARIOUS EMPLOYMENT FEW FACULTIES OF JOURNALISM HIGH LEVELS OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION DENSE AND VARIED MEDIA LANDSCAPE LONG JOURNALISTIC TRADITION MEDIA CONCENTRATION /DIGITAL ADAPTATION

13. ORGANIC ANALYSIS OF SPANISH JOURNALISTS interventionist rollopposed to the government 1) tend to have an interventionist roll and are opposed to the government public as consumers 2) see their public as consumers due to influence of the media market subjectivismreject objectivity as an ideal 3) tend to subjectivism and reject objectivity as an ideal SGKM Annual Conference

14. ORGANIC CONTEXT ANALYSIS SGKM Annual Conference Figure 6: Organic analysis of Spanish Journalists Source: Author´s elaboration MIDDLE CLASS LOW SALARIES GENERATION OF TRANSITION AND POST- TRANSITION / YOUNG PROFESSION REGIONAL DIFFERENCES SPECIFIC JOURNALISTIC FORMATION DEREGULATION HIGH STANDARIZATION VERTICAL PROCESSES POLITICAL EDITORIAL LINE – PRINT MEDIA SOCIAL EDITORIAL LINE – PUBLIC BROADCAST COMERCIAL EDITORIAL LINE – PRIVAT BROADCAST MEDIA MIDDLE PROFESSIONALIZATION YOUNG DEMOCRACY / STATE PATERNALISM STRONG MARKET INFLUENCES POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CORRUPTION RIGHT AND LEFT POLARIZATION LABOR PRECARIOUSNESS MIDDLE LEVEL OF FORMATION IN JOURNALISM DICTATORSHIPS AND POLITICAL INESTABILITY BIG MEDIA CORPORATIONS

15. ORGANIC ANALYSIS OF ECUADORIAN JOURNALISTS neutral impartial professionals 1) believe themselves to be neutral and impartial professionals 2) objectivity as philosophical not a goal low influence media market 2) objectivity as philosophical concept is not a goal and low influence from media market inform citizensrole of diffuser mobilizing and adversary accent 3) must inform the citizens, play the role of diffuser but with a mobilizing and adversary accent SGKM Annual Conference

16. ORGANIC CONTEXT ANALYSIS SGKM Annual Conference Figure 7: Organic analysis of Ecuadorian Journalists Source: Author´s elaboration HYBRID SYSTEM /NEW LAW STRONG INTERVENTIONIST STATE STATE PATERNALISM / CRISPATION NEOCAPITALISM / SOCIALISM PROFESSIONAL TRAINING: TITLE-EMPIRICAL INESTABILITY/ INDIVIDUALISM ASYNCHRONISM 91% PRIVATE, 5% PUBLIC, 4% COMMUNITY NOT SELFREGULATION PUBLIC /PRIVATE /COMMUNITY VERTICAL PROCESSES FOR OR AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT LOW PROFESSIONALIZATION NEW MIDDLE CLASS LOW SALARIES / SALARY INCREASE POLARIZATION CITY / PROVINCE

17. CONCLUSION SGKM Annual Conference SWISS JOURNALISTS SPANISH JOURNALISTS ECUADORIAN JOURNALISTS They don´t act as watchdogs but they have a critical position towards the centers of power because in Switzerland there is a mature democracy with a high social participation (strong concept of citizens). The journalistic tradition based in the parallelism between politics en media (print media) and opinion, but today journalists tend to a passive and objective role because they think the profession, and the Swiss society, don´t need big changes They have an interventionist roll opposed to the government due to the high level of corruption (political and economic). The relationship between journalists and politician is based in the cynic and the lack of thrust. Due to the crisis, the precariousness and the economy polity of media they see the public as consumers. Although they study at the university the traditional ideas of objectivity, tent to subjectivism and the practical idea of objectivity (they don´t have time in newsrooms to philosophical dilemmas) They see themselves as neutral and impartial professionals because the rules of media and the deontological code are obligatory and the sanction from the State are very high. The idea of objectivity are more practical due to their justification of professionalization of journalism. They perceive low level of influences from media market because the strong influence come from the State. Therefore, they fill their principal roll as diffuser (therefore the journalists from private media are opposite of Government - polarization) due to the high ideas of democracy and the “democratization of communication”

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