Download the eBook (8.25 MB) - ECREA Thematic Sections

Diversity of Journalisms. Proceedings of ECREA/CICOM Conference, Pamplona, 4-5 July 2011
Precisely from an ethical point of view, Jackie Bischof states that “a credible journalist
is able to adapt to new technologies, new forms of storytelling and new opportunities
while stubbornly remaining true to the ideas of the profession” (2010).
David Brewer emphasizes, just like Bischof, that the use of Twitter by journalists “does
not mean that journalistic ethics can be ditched”. There has simply been a change in
conduct or platform that implies a professional degree of adaptation in key aspects
such as accuracy, impartiality, fairness, offence, integrity and privacy (n.d.). Along
those same lines, Stevenson and Peck confirm the need for a “fresh ethical framework
for decision making and/or evaluating actions made online” (2011).
Justifying this research
In view of the foregoing, how journalists and the Chilean media behave in Twitter gives
rise to many approaches but, we feel that this needs to be done properly. In fact, it
would be far simpler giving examples which, in the same micro-blogging network, have
been commented – or openly criticized – at least locally.
Regarding the media, prominent is the accidental (presumably) of the corporate
account such as what occurred from @diariolahora which, on Monday March 28, 2011
launched a “I went for a crap”, which generated a certain level of criticism 64 - not
without some humor - despite the explanations by the person in charge of that account
in the Wednesday edition of the complimentary daily 65 .
As regards journalists, the limit is usually more hazy. On April 1, the journalist
Fernando Paulsen (@fernandopaulsen) shot a harsh accusation through Twitter.
Within the framework of sexual abuses by a Chilean priest, the radio and TV journalist
referred to the declarations made by a cardinal regarding the difference – legal,
psychological and moral – between abusing a child of 8 and a teenager of 17, adding
later that “he is speaking from experience, I assume” 66 .
To tackle the good or bad practices of journalists and the media in Twitter when
referring to these types of examples is the right path to tread, but we believe that it
leads, on the one hand, to highlighting the most striking cases at the time and, on the
other, not making – potentially – good use of the social network in the remainder of the
hundreds or even thousands of tweets that those same accounts issue. As a matter of
fact, none of the large national dailies has pointed out – even mentioned – in their
professional codes of conduct as to how to act in or with the social networks. Neither
has the National Press Association announced anything in this regard, whilst the
64 Image from a tweet: http://twitpic.com/4ecdn4 (LV: March 31, 2011).
65 The explanation given in the daily in its hardcopy and electronic edition:
http://lahora.cl/2011/03/30/01/noticias(dos-monutos/2-7783-9-viral-por-accidente.shtml (LV: March 31, 2011).
66 http://twitter.com/#!/fernandopaulsen/status/53878704891375616 (LV: April 15, 2011).
215