Search

The rise of fact-checking as an innovative tool aimed at improving democratic well-being has become a transnational movement in journalism. In June 2021, the Duke Reporters’ Lab database features 341 such initiatives around the world, including 33 active fact-checking projects in countries pertaining to the Mediterranean or Polarized Pluralist Model (Hallin; Mancini, 2004). Following previous research on fact-checking in other territories, this qualitative study expands the understanding of how this practice is performed by four platforms of countries belonging to this journalistic culture: Maldita.es (Spain), Les Surligneurs (France), Observador (Portugal), and Pagella Politica (Italy). Through in-depth interviews with their decision-makers, this work offers a deep understanding of the structure, agenda, practices, and values, the role of the public, and the challenges that these organizations face. Normally run by small but multidisciplinary teams, the studied initiatives show high levels of transparency and a tendency for continuous improvement and professionalization despite their limitations. Following the example of leading initiatives in the USA, the UK, Latin America and Europe, the analyzed organizations cover a wide range of thematic areas and make use of the latest digital tools. They employ robust methodologies when selecting the content they verify, consult an extensive range of sources, and set various control filters before publication, which proves their commitment to transparency and accountability. Furthermore, they guarantee the right of reply and are widely open to public participation and broader dissemination of their work through mainstream media. From difficulties in accessing public information to scarcity of resources and increased competition, fact-checking platforms in the Mediterranean context face major challenges that have forced them to rethink their role and find new revenue streams. These organizations highlight the need to enhance the impact of fact-checking among citizens, journalists, and politicians and, ultimately, to go back to the roots of journalism.

En un escenario de profunda mutación tecnológica y socioeconómica, los pioneros y los actores periféricos ganan importancia en la redefinición del periodismo. Estas transformaciones tienen que ver a menudo con los modelos organizativos de la empresa periodística. Así, en los últimos años se asiste a una proliferación de medios de comunicación ubicados en la economía social y solidaria, que impulsan la innovación en múltiples facetas. Este artículo se centra en la innovación organizativa y social tomando como caso de estudio las cooperativas, sociedades laborales y sociedades de accionariado popular en la prensa de Cataluña, territorio con una intensa historia cooperativa y un denso sistema mediático. El censo del estudio comprende 36 casos de cabeceras de la prensa catalana a lo largo de la historia que adoptan estas figuras jurídicas. Los métodos de estudio son el análisis de discursos metaperiodísticos y las entrevistas semiestructuradas a testimonios de estas publicaciones. Estas entidades nacen de la voluntad de periodistas y ciudadanos de ganar independencia, autonomía editorial y organización horizontal de la empresa periodística. Se observa en los casos actuales una orientación más decidida a la estabilización, la profesionalización y al cambio social, así como un mayor conocimiento del cooperativismo. Las actuales cooperativas de prensa catalanas son un claro ejemplo de actor periodístico periférico e innovador, especialmente en cuanto a la organización y al impacto social. También lo fueron los casos de la Transición y años posteriores, aunque no lograron consolidar estos modelos de empresa, que parecen estabilizarse en el panorama mediático.

La responsabilidad de los medios de comunicación y de los profesionales de la información ha de expresarse a través de mecanismos de rendición de cuentas (media accountability) que permitan conocer el grado de cumplimiento de valores como el pluralismo, la transparencia y la veracidad informativa. Este proyecto busca detectar las culturas periodísticas existentes en distintas comunidades autónomas de España, y examinar el impacto de los instrumentos de rendición de cuentas o media accountability systems en cada territorio. El trabajo parte de la hipótesis de que la cultura periodística en España no responde a un único modelo de sistema de medios (modelo mediterráneo o pluralista polarizado), como señalan Hallin y Mancini en Comparing Media Systems, sino que la diversidad de culturas periodísticas requiere matizar esta clasificación. La metodología combina la técnica de la encuesta online a diferentes actores mediáticos y diversos focus group con expertos, responsable de medios y ciudadanos. Los resultados permitirán diseñar y proporcionar a los medios modelos de evaluación de rendición de cuentas que integren valores como la transparencia y la pluralidad. Media accountability must be performed through mechanisms that allow the public to measure the commitment of journalists and information professionals to such values as pluralism, transparency and accuracy. This article seeks to identify the journalistic cultures existing in the several Spanish autonomous communities and to measure the impact of the media accountability systems implemented in each one of these communitites. The study is based on the hypothesis that journalistic culture in Spain does not respond to a unique media system or model (like the mediterranean or polarised pluralist models), as argued by Hallin and Mancini in Comparing Media Systems. Conversely, researchers believe that a wide range of journalistic cultures coexist in Spain, and that this fact demands the review of such classification. The research design combines an online survey among different media actors and focus groups of citizens, media experts, and media professionals. The results will allow the design and assessment of media accountability models in which values such as transparency and plurality are integrated. Este artículo presenta a la comunidad científica el proyecto de investigación sobre los sistemas de rendición de cuentas de los medios en distintas comunidades españolas: “MediaACES. Accountability y Culturas Periodísticas en España. Impacto y propuesta de buenas prácticas en los medios de comunicación españoles” (CSO2015-66404-P), financiado por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad del Gobierno de España, y dirigido por Ruth Rodríguez-Martínez y Marcel Mauri-Ríos (Universidad Pompeu Fabra). Participan seis universidades españolas de distintas comunidades autónomas: Andalucía, Cataluña, Galicia, Madrid, País Vasco y Comunidad Valenciana.

The aim of this article is to analyse the opinions of journalists and citizens regarding the interdependence of public media and the official sources of political power in Spain. Little research of this kind has been done in the Spanish context. Journalists and citizens representing four Spanish regions—Catalonia, Madrid, the Basque Country, and Andalusia—were questioned about their opinions regarding this interdependency. The methodology used in this research is based on quantitative techniques (surveys) and qualitative techniques (in-depth interviews and focus groups). The results prove that the opinions of journalists differ from those of citizens for the majority of questions asked. Citizens are more inclined to follow directions from official sources than are journalists. The geographical background of the respondents proved to be a significant factor in terms of variation in answers. Journalists from Catalonia and the Basque country are much more reluctant to follow government directives on issues o...

The study on which this article is based aims to quantify the presence and image of young people in leading Catalan news media. Analysis shows that youngsters have a very low visibility factor in the Catalan media, except in the case of sports news. The presence of young people is significantly greater when dealing with themes such as violence, disasters and education. As regards the roles that young people play in news stories, results show an adult-centric vision. Young people figure greatly when dealing with issues such as violence but when structural problems such as education, work and emancipation are addressed, an external and institutional vision is adopted.