The Media Accountability System as a Part of the Social System and Journalistic Culture

Keywords: responsibility, self-regulation, culture, media, journalism

Abstract

Media accountability systems encompass various non-governmental measures aimed at enhancing the media’s accountability to their audiences. These systems operate within a broader social framework and journalistic culture. Their effectiveness in influencing journalists’ behavior largely depends on their conditions and specifics. This article seeks to elucidate the determinants of the effectiveness of media accountability systems within the media landscape, examining both the overarching system and its individual components through the lens of two theoretical frameworks: the homo agens-institutionalist model and the economic theory of journalism. Within the context of the former, the author contends that the development of media accountability systems is a gradual process, particularly effective in countries with a longstanding tradition of media self-regulation. In these nations, the individual components of media accountability systems have become deeply entrenched within institutional frameworks and internalized, garnering widespread acceptance within the journalistic community. From the perspective of the economic theory of journalism, the author posits that the most impactful elements of media accountability systems are those capable of influencing journalists’ individual interests. Journalists, driven by rationality and self-interest in their professional endeavors, are particularly responsive to measures that align with their personal benefits.

Author Biography

Paweł Urbaniak, Uniwersytet Wrocławski

Doktor, adiunkt w Instytucie Dziennikarstwa i Komunikacji Społecznej Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego. Autor kilku monografii (m.in. Życie literackie we Wrocławiu po 1976 roku oraz Objectivity in Journalism), a także kilkudziesięciu artykułów i rozdziałów o tematyce medioznawczej.

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Published
2023-10-23
How to Cite
[1]
Urbaniak, P. 2023. The Media Accountability System as a Part of the Social System and Journalistic Culture. Perspectives on Culture. 44, 1 (Oct. 2023), 129-142. DOI:https://doi.org/10.35765/pk.2024.4401.12.
Section
Culture in Media, Media in Culture