Journalists in the BRICS countries

Journalists in the BRICS countries

Svetlana Pasti, University of Tampere

The 5th International Media Readings in Moscow Mass Media and Communication- 2013’

November 14-15, 2013

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Media system: Human dimension

• Among the many dimensions of media systems: Journalism and the people behind it, journalists

• Global comparisons in two journalist profile projects:

Weaver and Willnat, eds (2012) The Global Journalist for the 21st century Hanitzsch, et al. (2012) Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS)

BRICS study • Neither of these global projects included

journalists from all five BRICS countries • Our study will compare the BRICS

countries’ journalists: • 1) with journalists in Western countries • 2) with journalists from the countries in

the second wave of the global WJS study• 3) with journalists in the BRICS countries

themselves

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BRICS study The study will examine differences

between new and old news media In mainstream comparative research,

ONLINE NEWS MEDIA have received little attention

Number of online media continue to increase

The definition of new media is unclear

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New media in the BRICS study Our study defines new online news

media as separately established, registered and independent internet media organizations

They are not digital newsrooms or online versions of conventional newspapers, magazines or radio-television stations

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BRICS study sample: Cities Four cities in each countryBrazil: Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Natal, Juiz

de Fora Russia: Moscow, St Petersburg,

Yekaterinburg, PetrozavodskIndia: Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, PuneChina: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou,

XianSouth Africa: Jonannesburg, Cape Town,

Durban, Port Elizabeth6

BRICS study sample: MediaTraditional media and new online media  National media and local media Different types of media (newspaper,

magazine, radio, television, registered online media)

 and their subcategories in terms of: quality (citizen – oriented) and popular (consumer – oriented) state – owned/public; private; mix (state – owned & private)

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BRICS study sample: MediaMedia sample in capital and 2nd

metropolis includes 12 traditional media + 12 new online media, in total 24 media, where 48 journalists are interviewed

 Media sample in two provincial cities half of above: 6 traditional media + 6 new online media, in total 12 media, where 24 journalists are interviewed. In-depth, semi-structured interview, face-to-face, using a recorder, in the native language of the interviewee 8

Interview: Main topics  Social profile  Job Conditions: new technology, economy,

satisfaction Journalists and society: citizen

participation, freedom of speech Professionalism and ethics: perceptions

on professionalism, political independence, self

regulation, corruption Present status and future of the

profession

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Work in progressInterviews: 144 per country, total 720 in

2013-early 2014Analysis and city + country reports in

2014

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Brazil, Russia, China in GJ and WJS Weaver and Willnat, eds (2012) The

Global Journalist in the 21st Century: 3 countries from BRICS, traditional media Findings: demographics, working conditions, valuesHanitzsch, et al. (2012) Worlds of

JournalismStudy: Same 3 countries from BRICS, traditional media Findings: journalism cultures, professional autonomy, influence on news work

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Brazil, Russia, China in GJ: ProfileThe largest populations of journalists:China – 700,000Russia - 250, 000Brazil – 30, 000 (70, 000 from the BRICS data)US – about 120, 000

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Age: GJ Chinese journalists – the youngest - 33 Brazilian journalists – 40Russian journalists– 41US journalists – 41The highest mean age was among

journalists in Denmark (45) and Sweden (45)

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Two trends in the profession Feminization and high educationBrazil – 40% of female 100% Russia –60% of female 90% China – 53% of female 93% US – 33% of female Special education in journalism:Brazil – 100%Russia – 44% US – 36%

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Working conditions: Job satisfactionJob satisfaction is linked to journalists’

perceived autonomy (Weaver 2012)Perception of freedom is related to high

job satisfaction in such countries as: Russia, the US, Chile, Colombia, Finland, Hong Kong, Israel, Korea, Malaysia, Sweden, Taiwan

Level of job satisfaction (who said ‘very satisfied’):

Brazil – 21%, Russia – 19%, US – 33 %, Finland – 84% 15

Working conditions: Job satisfaction3 most important predictors of job

satisfactionBrazil: ‘pay’, ‘professional recognition’

and ‘possibility for promotion’ Russia: ‘job autonomy’, ‘opportunity to

help people’ and ‘political line of the media’

Brazilian journalists – more pragmatic, prioritizing material values (income and rising mobility)

Russian journalists – more oriented to idealistic, spiritual values (autonomy and helping people)

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Six main journalistic roles: GJReporting news quickly – 53% Reporting objectively – 51% Providing analysis of events – 49%

Providing access for public – 36%

Being watchdog of government – 33%

Providing entertainment – 19%17

Perceptions of Roles: Brazil, RussiaSimilar in support Providing analysis of

events: Brazil (72%) and Russia (78%) Different to other roles: Reporting news quickly: Brazil (38%),

Russia (81%)Watchdog role: Brazil (15%), Russia (53%)Providing access for public: Brazil (38%), Russia (69%)

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Watchdog role decreasing: GJCorrelation is not always present between level of freedom and importance of watchdog roleIn free countries (rated by Freedom

house) watchdog role of government: the US journalists – 71%, Germany – 7%, Switzerland – 27%, Sweden – 22%, Netherlands – 18%

In non-free Russia (53%), partly free Brazil (15%)

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Watchdog role: GJ and WJS Results does not match between the

Global Journalist and Worlds of Journalism Study on the watchdog of the government:

Brazil – 15% GJ and 89% WJSGermany – 7% GJ and 88% WJSSwitzerland – 27% GJ and 81% WJSIndonesia – 39% GJ and 81% WJSChile – 39% GJ and 64% WJS

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Roles: GJ (WJS in brackets)  

Report news quickly

Providanalysis of events

Be watchdog of gover-t

Providaccess for public

Providentertainment

Report objectively

Freedom House Score

Brazil

38 72 15(89)

38 20 ---- 43

Russia

81 78 53 (57)

69 25 ---- 81

China ---- ---- ---- (83)

---- ---- ---- 84

USA 59 51 71(86)

39 11 52 1821

WJS: Journalism cultures Journalism culture: roles, epistemologies,

professional autonomy3 clusters of countries along common political

and cultural dimensions:Western countries – Western journalism culture Non-Western countries – Peripheral Western

journalism culture – Brazil Non-Western countries – Authoritarian journalism

culture – China and RussiaHypothesis: China and Russia more similar than

Brazil22

Brazil, China, Russia in WJS: RolesNo evidence that China and Russia similar

and different from BrazilWatchdog of the government : Brazil is

similar with China, Germany and Uganda ‘Providing the audience with the information

that is most interesting’: Brazil is similar with Russia and dissimilar with Germany and Austria

China and Russia are different in roles’ perception of support of official politics and advocating for social change, but similar in influence on public opinion 23

Brazil, China, Russia: epistemologies No confirmation of similarity between China

and Russia (authoritarian culture) and difference from Brazil (peripheral western):

‘I always stay away from information that cannot be verified’ : Brazili (54) close to Russia (50) and both different from China (88), as well as Germany (77), and Austria (84)

‘I think that journalists can depict reality as it is’: Brazil (77) different from Russia (33) as well as Germany (35) and Austria (39)

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Brazil, China, Russia: EthicsIn some questions China and Russia are

similar: ‘approving a situational behavior in dependence from the circumstances’, as distinct from Brazil disapproving situational ethical practice

In other questions: ‘avoiding questionable methods of reporting’ China is similar with Brazil (majority does not accept them) and different from Russia showing a high tolerance to questionable methods

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Brazil, China, Russia: Influences Three most important sources of influence: Supervisors and higher editors: China (80)

and Brazil (79) similar Management and ownership : China (81:76)

and Russia (66: 62) similar Newsroom conventions and professional

conventions: important for Brazil (80: 78) not so important for China (57: 53) and Russia (60: 52)

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Findings of Influences In comparison to the Western journalists:

only for China and Russia ‘management’ and ‘ownership’ were on the top, whereas for Germany and Austria they were non-important and for Brazil and the USA – not so very important

This testifies about the political and economic pressures on the media and journalists in Russia and China – the double control of the state – (in)direct media owner (or manager) and the capital, non-free from the political control of the state 27

Thanks for your attention

[email protected]://www.uta.fi/cmt/en/contact/staff/svetlanapasti/

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