Deliberative Journalism and Citizenship

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Deliberative journalism and

citizenship

Principles and practices in thePortuguese regional press

Gil Baptista FerreiraPhD in Communicacion Sciences

Communication, Media and

Civic CultureBucharest, 18/19 May 2012

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questions

what can we expect from journalists

in their relation with citizens?

a professional practice committed to

the deliberative ideals?

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sample of 45 journalists from 8 Portuguese regionalnewspapers

which model of journalism defines, in discursive

terms, the idea that journalists have of their own

profession?

nature of the relationship between journalists and

citizens

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Canonical and deliberative journalism

factualityand neutrality

the safeguard of the conditions of

rational deliberation

practices that allow the identification of

the citizens ways of thinking with the

issues that concern them

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Canonical and deliberative journalism

defend theinterests of theregion,

inform the publicand clarifycitizens,

ensure social and

political pluralism

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allow the enlarged

participation in decision

making,

contribute to problemssolving,

stimulate debate within

the region,

foster public orideological debate.

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The main functions of regional

journalism are

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The main functions of regional

journalism are

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Do citizens matter?

91% of journalists surveyed say they receive

contacts of common citizens with information

about the events.

76% frequently receive contacts (two or more

per week) in order to provide information on

events

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Use citizens as a source quoted in

news...

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Who sets the newspapers

agenda?

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local elites, local citizens orcommercial factors?

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Who sets the newspapers

agenda?

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Believes that the agenda of the newspapers is

oriented

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The content of regional newspapers

is...

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Conclusions

journalists idealize the existence of a newspaperagenda oriented by citizens, and a minor role tolocal elites.

But, a preferred approach to the elites at expense

of the citizens.Devaluation of common citizens

a conventional journalistic approach

practices associated with the canonical

journalismjournalistic content too focused on the elites and

in commercial concerns

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