Media structure and performance:

principles and accountability

MAS Media Accountability System

Theory of media and communication

Lecture 7
Prof. dr hab. Bogusława Dobek-Ostrowska
 MEDIA FREEDOM
as a media performance principle
FREEDOM

INDEPENDENT ACCESS DIVERSITY

STATUS TO CHANNELS OF SUPPLY

Reliability Critical stance Choice Change

Originality
 The elements of media freedom
1) Structural conditions (the legal freedom to transmit/publish)

2) Operating conditions (real independence from economic, political

pressure /relative autonomy of journalists within media organizations)

3) Opportunities for `voices` in society to gain access to channels

4) Benefits of quality of provision for `receivers` (criterias : revelance,

diversity, reliability, interest, originality, personal satisfaction)
 EQUALITY
as a media performance principle
EQUALITY

ACCESS DIVERSITY OBJECTIVITY

Open/equal Change Reach Neutrality Truth

Proportional Fairness
 Information quality

OBJECTIVITY

FACTUALITY IMPARTIALITY

Truth Relevance Balance Neutrality

Informativeness
 SOCIAL ORDER AND SOLIDARITY
Perspective

From `above` From `below

Social CONTROL/ SOLIDARITY/

Domain COMPLIANCE ATTACHMENT

Cultural CONFORMITY AUTONOMY/

HIERARCHY IDENTITY
 Main external partners of the media
in an accountability relationship
1. The audience / set of subscribers
2. The clients of media (advertisers , sponsors)
3. Different kinds of sources of content (agencies, artists,
governments, firms)
4. Those who are the subject of information/reporting (the `referents)
as individuals or groups
5. Owners/ shareholders of media firms
6. Regulators / lawmakers
 FRAMES OF ACCOUNTABILITY
1) Law and regulation
2) Market
3) Public responsibility
4) Professional responsibility
FRAMES OF ACCOUNTABILITY
 A qualitative comparison
• Professional instrument of media accountability
• Organizational instrument of media accountability
• Online instrument of media accountability

Source: Eberwein, Fengler & Karmasin (2018).

The Europrean Media Accountability Index
Points in the Index of media
accountability
200-160
A maximally developed MA infrastructure
159-120
A highly developed MA infrastructure
119-80
A developed MA infastructure
79-40
A party developed MA infrastructure
39-0
An underdeveloped MA infrastructure

Source: Eberwein, Fengler & Karmasin (2018:296-299).

Literature:
• D. McQuail (2001). McQuail`s Mass Communication Theory, London:
Sage, chapter 8, pp. 165-188.
• T. Eberwein, S. Fengler & M. Karmasin (2018). The European
Handbook of Media Accountability. London & New York: Routledge,
pp.285-300.
The exam`s questions:
1. A concept of MAS
2. Media freedom and an equality
3. External patterns of media accountability
4. Frames of accountability
5. European media accountability index