transparency
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Transparency in the Arab world
How journalists from Egypt and the UAE deal with instruments creating journalistic transparency
Andreas StraeterDepartment of JournalismDortmund University of [email protected]
Atlanta, November 18
Agenda
transparency in general and in journalism
transparency instrumentrs
research design
results
literature
further links
Transparency in the Arab world
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What is transparency (in general)?
„ (...) availability of information and as a disclosure of it (...)“ (Craft/Heim 2009:
219)
„ (...) the accessibility of information to stakeholders of institutions, regarding matters that effect their interests (...)“
(Tapscott/Ticoll 2003: 22)
„Secrecy means deliberately hiding your actions, transparency means deliberately
revealing them” (Florini 2002: 14)
Transparency
In all disciplines, transparency has taken up a high place value:
engines: globalization, Internet, first generation of digital natives
Transparency as a business selling argument
Transparency creates accountability and reliance (in all areas)
politics economics
consumerism journalism
financial world …
Transparency in journalism
journalism-internal
Transparency, which is created by journalists themselves Information on the
editorial department and its general framework
Information on journalistic work processes and sources
Information on editorial decision processes
journalism-external
Media journalism
academic research
blogs
online comments
Media criticism in Social Networks
…
Transparency Instruments
Simple transparency-instruments byline, Information on the
authors background Publishing guidelines and
codes of ethics deep links direct accessibility of
authors social media connections possibility to comment …
Innovative transparency-instruments Internet transfers of editorial
conferences („open newsroom“) editorial blogs media journalism (as a
department) error section, mistake button ombudsmen, „reader lawyer“ cyber/ombudsmen participation of the reader in the
process of investigation making the process of news
decision public …
Research design• Empirical survey instrument: semi-structured qualitative interview guides
• Sampling: twelve journalists and media professionals have been interviewed at spot, between November 2011 and May 2012
• Survey form: interviews Face-to-Face or via telephone and skype
• Key question: How do journalists deal with instruments creating journalistic transparency? (four Hypotheses)
UAE versus Egypt
• Country recruitment:
Results
Initial signs suggest that both, Emirati and Egyptian media, have drawn first findings from the political and social upheavels of the „Arab Spring“. People want their voices to be heart, so they want to comment media
content and they want to have content as transparent as possible Media in both countries, they allow comments and create openness In a digital world, it seems almost impossible to supress discussions,
but there are no or very few innovative instruments to be found
„I think that Arab media has learnt a lot of lessons from the Arab
Spring.“Journalist, Al Arabiya (Dubai)
Results
Print media is more transparent than TV and broadcasting outlets. General statement is hard to find in this context, each
medium should be analyzed on its own in terms of transparency
But: media have to be transparent to stay within the market
„TV, there you can actually see much more of the old, crusty strutures.
This is more a one-way-communication.“
TV-Journalist, Kairo
Results
Social media tools and connections have a slightly illusionary show-effect In some cases, they were only installed because of
marketing and business reasons stabilizing the media brand
Social media tools tend to contribute to transparency by its very nature, although this is not intended
„They are not using these tools with their full potencials and only using them (...) as
window-dressing.“Media Professional.Egypt Media Development Program,
Kairo
Results
The flap-up of transparency can be seen in the political context of the impact of the „Arab Spring“ People want to their voices to be heart – even in a
supressive sphere Journalists try to transparent as they can
„Of course, because, what you hide, is going to be there.“
„People want to have communication,so they start to communicate.“
Journalist, Al-Ahkbar, Kairo
Literature I• Ayish, Muhammad I. (2009): Das Mediensystem der Golfstaaten
Bahrein, Katar, Kuwait, Saudi-Arabien und der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate. In: Internationales Handbuch Medien. Hans-Bredow-Institut. Baden-Baden.
• Bardoel, Jo / D’Haenens, Leen (2004): Media responsibility and accountability: New conceptualizations and practices. In: Communications 29, pp. 5-25.
• Craft, Stephanie / Heim, Kyle (2009): Transparency in Journalism. Meaning, Merits, and Risks. In. Wilkins, Lee / Clifford, G. (eds): The Handbook of Mass Media Ethics. New York, London.
• El Gody, Ahmed (2009): Das Mediensystem in Ägypten. In: Internationales Handbuch Medien. Hans-Bredow-Institut. Baden-Baden.
• Florini, Ann (2002): The End of Secrecy. In: Finel, Bertrand I. / Lord, Kristin M.: Power and Conflict in the Age of Transparency. New York.
Literature II• Bettels, Tina / Fengler, Susanne / Sträter, Andreas / Trilling
Mariella (2011): Mogelpackung im WWW. Wie europäische Medien ihr Publikum online an redaktionellen Prozessen teilhaben lassen – Ergebnisse einer international vergleichenden Studie. Dortmund.
• Fengler, Susanne (2011): From Self-Regulation to 'Crowd-Criticism': Media Accountability in the Digital Age. Im Review-Verfahren Central European Journal of Communication. Dortmund.
• Meier, Klaus / Reimer, Julius (2011): Transparenz im Journalismus. Instrumente, Konfliktpotenziale, Wirkung. In: Publizistik. Wiesbaden.
• Seib, Philip (Hrsg.) (2007a): New Media and the New Middle East. New York [u.a.].
• Tapscott, Don / Ticoll, David (2003): The Naked Cooperation. How the Age of Transparency Will Revolutionize Business. Toronto.
• Zweiri, Mahjoob / Murphy, Emma C. (Hrsg.) (2011): The New Arab Media. Technology, Image and Perception. Bodmin / King's Lynn.
Contact
Andreas Straeter
Dortmund University of Technology, Germany
Department of Journalism
Contact me:
My work: www.andreasstraeter.de
++49 160 98654815