Media Responses to Media Criticism

At the time of writing in June 2015, the top Swedish tabloid editors, Thomas Mattsson and Jan Helin, Editors-in-Chief for the competing news organisations, Expressen and Aftonbladet, have produced 116 weekly issues of their joint podcast “MattssonHelin”. An examination of 24 samples of the content regarding responses to media criticism shows that the responses can be categorised in eleven groups that range from total rejection to total acceptance. Our categorisation presents a complement to earlier research on media responses to criticism. The responses contain elements of paradigm repair for journalism (Berkowitz 2000) but also illuminate how the editors use the particular advantages of the podcast format to enhance their take on public media literacy. Their presence in this particular digital platform allows for long and nuanced discussions on journalistic practice in relation to media criticism, albeit on their own terms.