Modeling perceived professional autonomy in Chilean journalism

Abstract

Based on a survey of 570 Chilean new media journalists, this article examines how they perceive autonomy in their everyday work, the importance they give to autonomy as a professional value, as well as the factors that influence their perceived editorial freedom. The results show that Chilean journalists acknowledge a high level of freedom in making news decisions, but that their conception of autonomy follows two different paths: while the importance given to autonomy is related to the profession’s ideal of public service, their satisfaction with editorial freedom fits into a pragmatic context, associated with their professional and job development. The results also reveal that the factors that better predict professional autonomy are having an editorial position within the media, the assignment of a news beat, perceived political and organizational influences, and the media’s political orientation and geographical location. Economic factors, meanwhile, do not have any direct effect on the journalists’ perceptions.

DEL DICHO AL HECHO. Percepción y desempeño profesional de los periodistas de prensa escrita en Ecuador

“…La autonomía se cimenta en la capacidad para tomar decisiones personales sin ser afectados por las influencias internas o externas (Merrill, 1974), estando asociada al pluralismo (McQuail, 1994), la independencia, la soberanía, la jurisdiccionalidad, la autorregulación (Sjøvaag, 2013) y la defensa contra las restricciones de la libertad de expresión (Mellado y Humanes, 2012). Por lo tanto, la automía y la libertad de prensa y expresión actúan como filtros protectores frente a los abusos o presiones procedentes de los distintos focos de poder.…”

“…En este entorno regional, donde no existe claridad respecto a la existencia de una cultura periodística común, se advierte, según Mellado y col. (2012), la falta de modelos periodísticos claros, ya que se siguen adoptando, adaptando y/o reinterpretando patrones profesionales occidentales (Mellado y Humanes, 2012) que desafían las coyunturas locales (Waisbord, 2000;Márquez, 2012; de Albuquerque y Roxo da Silva, 2009). Tal y como subraya Oller (2017: 24) en su estudio acerca de la relación entre el gobierno ecuatoriano y los periodistas, "a día de hoy, [tanto] en Ecuador como en América Latina, no se ha conseguido un fuerte consenso sobre las cuestiones fundamentales que definen el periodismo y sus fronteras, el propósito del periodismo, los códigos éticos deseables y sus relaciones con otros actores externos".…”

Digital vs. traditional media journalists: sociodemographic characteristics, and external and internal threats to their autonomy

“…In recent years, empirical academic research on the multilevel structure of influences in journalism has made significant progress (Hanitzsch et al, 2010;Mellado, 2011;Plaisance et al;2012: Mellado;Humanes, 2012; Relly; González-de-Bustamante, 2014; Relly et al, 2015). Most of these analyses are based on the theoretical framework of Shoemaker and Reese (1996), who developed a model of hierarchy of influences consisting of five nested levels.…”

“…Refer to coercive external forces arising from the political system, including the government, political parties, and censorship (Picard;Van-Weezel, 2008), and also businessmen and public relations Humanes, 2012). In Spain, the media system has been closely linked with political powers, historically and especially since the democratic transition (1975)(1976)(1977) …”

Professional roles and news construction: a media sociology conceptualization of journalists’ role conception and performance

“…Different to other professions, like Medicine or Law (or as the behavior of a normal human being who is relatively independent in life and can take its own decisions), journalism as a profession is a more heteronomous field (Bourdieu, 2005) where journalists are more exposed to different internal and external constrains that limit in different levels their autonomy to do what they would like to do (Hanitzsch & Reich, 2013;Mellado & Humanes, 2012). Because of structural components that have been always part of the profession, journalists have clear limitations to the freedom they have to take decision, and to behave according to their own ideals.…”