The anatomy of internal interference in public service media : How do journalists interpret whether editorial interference constitutes unacceptable encroachment on their autonomy?

URBÁNIKOVÁ, Marína. The anatomy of internal interference in public service media : How do journalists interpret whether editorial interference constitutes unacceptable encroachment on their autonomy? Journalism. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2024, neuveden, neuveden, p. 1-19. ISSN 1464-8849. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14648849241255339.

Basic information

• Original name: The anatomy of internal interference in public service media : How do journalists interpret whether editorial interference constitutes unacceptable encroachment on their autonomy?
• Authors: URBÁNIKOVÁ, Marína.
• Edition: Journalism, Thousand Oaks, SAGE Publications, 2024, 1464-8849.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 50800 5.8 Media and communications
• Country of publisher: United States of America
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: article - open access
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 2.900 in 2022
• Organization unit: Faculty of Social Studies
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14648849241255339
• UT WoS: 001224938200001
• Keywords in English: Autonomy; independence; interference; journalists; newsroom conflict; political pressure; public service media; Slovakia
• Tags: online first
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

This study examines the suspected transmission of political pressure through management to journalists in public service media, where independence is crucial for fulfilling its democratic mission. Such interference is often covert and performed without hard evidence, making it difficult to prove. To provide insight into these practices, this study explores the case of RTVS, the public service broadcaster in Slovakia, during a conflict that arose after the appointment of a new director general in 2017. Using semi-structured interviews with journalists and managers (N = 16), it introduces an inductively developed classification scheme for internal interference and examines the context and conditions under which the journalists considered it to be politically motivated and as an illegitimate encroachment on their autonomy. The study shows that perceived internal interference by management takes two forms: interference in editorial content at various levels (and through multiple tools and means) and the use of disciplinary mechanisms. When journalists experience internal interference with a possible political background, trust in their superiors and the perception of their motives are crucial factors influencing their reactions and interpretation of the situation. However, for a variety of reasons that the study analyzes in detail, the RTVS journalists distrusted their superiors' moral integrity, professional skills, and political independence, which resulted in the departure of a large part of the TV newsroom. The article concludes with suggestions for methodological implications for further research on perceived interference.

Links

• GA22-30563S, research and development project: Name: Re-konceptualizace role českých médií veřejné služby: očekávání, výzvy a příležitosti

Investor: Czech Science Foundation, Rethinking the Role of Czech Public Service Media: Expectations, Challenges, and Opportunities