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Watchdog Journalism Information

A watchdog is defined as "a person or group of persons that acts as a protector or guardian against inefficiency, illegal practices" by the Collins English Dictionary.[1] In news journalism a watchdog journalist also fulfills this function of a guardian. The term watchdog journalism is strongly related to the practice investigative journalism. To perform in an investigative manner, the journalist is in the "role" of a watchdog.[2] However, watchdog journalism cannot be defined by the amount of investigation alone but is used in many different contexts. It is also stated "contingent on the existing social, political, and economic conditions and a reflection as much of the historical moment as it is of pre‐existing structures and media cultures".[3] Watchdog journalism can be located in a variety of news media, like radio, television, Internet and print media where it can be seen as "a unique strength of newspapers"[4] and additional new media and concepts like weblogs and citizen journalism. Watchdog journalists are also called "watchmen"[5], "agents of social control" or "moral guardians".[6]

Another term in this context is the "detached watchdog". The concept of the detached watchdog emerged from an extensive study on journalism cultures conducted by communication researcher Hanitzsch and others. The detached watchdog is described as "dedicated to objectivity, neutrality, fairness and impartiality".[7]

Contents

Role in Journalism

The role of a watchdog journalist can be that of a protector or guardian. The role of a watchdog journalist as a guardian is to supply the citizens with information they must have "to prevent the abuse of power"[8] and "warn citizens about those that are doing them harm". [9] In order to conduct their role as a watchdog journalists need to have a certain distance to the powers and challenge them[10], as opposed to "propagandist" journalists[11], who are loyal to a country's ruling powers and elites. Because of the power distance and its overseeing function, watchdog journalism often officiates as the fourth estate[12] or is used in the context of that term[13]. The array of topics for watchdog journalism is wide and includes "personal scandals, financial wrongdoing, political corruption, enrichment in public office, and other types of wrongdoing".[14] In order to expose wrongdoings the watchdog aims at "finding hidden evidence".[15] The aforementioned aspects are necessary for the role of the watchdog journalist to help "maintain order" and "warn against disorder".[16]

Watchdog Journalism in practice

Watchdog journalism can lead to the successful resignation of power holders. A well-known example is Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's reporting on the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post and the subsequent resignation of U.S. president Richard Nixon in 1974. Another more recent example took place in the Philippines, where president Joseph Estrada was arrested and resigned in 2001. The daily newspaper Pinoy Times covered the case of Estrada till "the ouster of Estrada".[17] In a country that guarantees freedom of the press, watchdog journalism can be "a highly effective mechanism of external control on corruption".[18] Yet, the mechanisms of watchdog journalism can also work in countries which abridge freedom of the press. A journalist in authoritarian contexts might not be able to cover all topics but can still find an important journalistic niche. For example in China where free press is still not established or guaranteed "the notion of the press as watchdogs of power is embedded in the self‐definition of journalists".[19] Here it makes a difference at whom the critique is directed. Journalists are able to criticize power abuse by individuals. However, criticism pointed at major state policies is frowned upon and not feasible for established journalists.[20] In democracies "the idea of the media as the public´s eyes and ears" is widely accepted.[21]

Detached Watchdog

The term detached watchdog was created in the Worlds of Journalism study conducted by Hanitzsch, Lauk and others between 2007 and 2011. The goal of the study was to create a better understanding of journalism culture an journalistic views. The study detected four global professional milieus of journalists: the populist disseminator, detached watchdog, critical change agent and the opportunist facilitator.[22] The detached watchdog is an absolutely "detached observer".[23] In addition to his watchdog functions described earlier, the detached watchdog is not interventionist but uninvolved. In order to achieve that status he has to be objective, neutral and impartial.[24] Still, because of his watchdog function, he articulates his "skeptical and critical attitude towards the government and business elites".[25] The detached watchdog milieu is accredited as the most prototypical of western journalism.[26] Countries where this milieu predominates are Germany, Austria, USA, Switzerland and Australia.[27]

Criticism

The concept of watchdog journalism is not free of criticism. The whole field of watchdog journalism has decreased over time and parts of journalism observers affirm that this period "is not a time of rich watchdog reporting in any media".[28] This comes with the framework and the problem that many journalists tend "towards reflecting the status quo, rather than radically challenging it".[29] This decrease, however, cannot lead to the presumption that there are not enough critical topics to write or report about. In fact, the opposite is the case and there is enough material to work with.[30] While watchdog journalism in the US helped to force Nixon out of office in 1974, the situation presented itself differently in 2003. During the Iraq war part of the established media turned out to take more of a "pro-war attitude"[31], without fully fulfilling their function of a critical watchdog. Many professionals in the media "appeared to feel that it was not their role to challenge the administration".[32] However, critics direct the blame in party to the general public itself, since their interest in watchdog journalism is "inconstant and fleeting at times".[33] They also see the role of watchdog journalism as "driven by its own interests rather than by a desire to protect the public interest".[34]

Notes

  1. ^ Definition Watchdog in Collins English Dictionary, 2009
  2. ^ Nieman foundation for Journalism at Harvard, 2012
  3. ^ Coronel 2008, p. 13
  4. ^ Ward 2005
  5. ^ Hanitzsch 2007, p.373
  6. ^ Berger 2000, 84
  7. ^ Hanitzsch 2011, p.481
  8. ^ Marder, 1998, p.20
  9. ^ Coronel, 2008, p. 3
  10. ^ Hanitzsch, 2007, p 373
  11. ^ Pasti 2005, p.95
  12. ^ Hanitzsch 2007, p 373
  13. ^ Berger 2000, p.84
  14. ^ Coronel 2008, p. 2
  15. ^ Overholser & Jamieson 2005, p.170
  16. ^ Gans 1979, p.295
  17. ^ Mojares 2006, p.8
  18. ^ Brunetti & Weder 2003, p.1804
  19. ^ Coronel 2008, p. 1
  20. ^ Yuezhi 2000, p.589
  21. ^ Coronel 2008, p. 2
  22. ^ http://www.worldsofjournalism.org/index.htm
  23. ^ Hanitzsch 2011, p.485
  24. ^ Hanitzsch 2011, p.481
  25. ^ Hanitzsch 2011, p.486
  26. ^ Hanitzsch 2011, p.485
  27. ^ http://www.worldsofjournalism.org
  28. ^ Overholser & Jamieson 2005, p.178
  29. ^ Berger 2000, p.84
  30. ^ Overholser & Jamieson 2005, p.179
  31. ^ Kull / Ramsay / Lewis 2003, p.593
  32. ^ Kull / Ramsay / Lewis 2003, p.593
  33. ^ Coronel 2008, p. 13
  34. ^ Kohut 2001, p.52

References

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