Journalism and Transparency: A Mass Communications Perspective

Abstract

The chapter focuses on contemporary debates about transparency in journalism studies and mass communication research. The authors provide an overview of theoretical perspectives on media transparency as well as empirical results from large-scale comparative studies on media transparency and accountability in Europe. In this respect, they show that journalists’ perception of media transparency considerably differs between different journalism cultures. Based on the assumption that social media have established themselves as competitors of the traditional mass media in public communication, the chapter argues that traditional mass media can only continue to exist by making use of new technological possibilities and by distinguishing themselves sharply from other media offers.