Blog: Journalists and Public Service Communicators: Doing public service?

Let us, journalists and communicators, take a critical, loving and constructive look at each other and ourselves. How can we contribute to a professional relationship characterised by orderliness and mutual respect for each other’s tasks and roles so that the interests of citizens and thus society are taken care of in the best possible way?

The trust gap between the public administration and critical journalists has probably widened. Journalists in particular criticize certain government institutions for being too enclosed. Some public servants experience the press as undifferentiated and on an eternal hunt for the negative story, conflict and sensation. 

Distrust does not benefit the citizens and society, which both the press and administration otherwise believe they serve. The media wants to be society’s watchdog and keep an eye on those in power. The officials want to serve the citizens and ensure a good society for all and ensure that political priorities are put into practice.

Without access to officials, journalists will write stories of poor quality.Without significant and well-documented stories, journalists undermine their most important capital: their credibility. 

Constructive Institute wants to investigate, discuss and evaluate the methods  used when media and journalists publish critical stories about public institutions. 

The project will try to uncover and discuss the mechanisms that are being reinforced on both sides of the table. On the basis of quantitative and qualitative studies the project may create a foundation for a constructive dialogue and possibly preparation of common guidelines for cooperation. 

The overall goal is for both journalists and communicators to relate to how they can contribute to a working relationship characterised by orderliness and mutual respect for each other’s tasks and roles. This way the interests’ of citizens and thus society are taken care of in the best possible way. 

Why do we investigate the relationship between communicators and journalists?

A few years ago, journalists were able to call officials in the state, region and municipality directly. They could find their numbers in a phonebook. Today the chain of command is often through a communications department that cannot always give a journalist access to officials. Sometimes the officials do not want to talk to journalists, other times there are rules for who is allowed to talk to the press at all. 

A few years ago, a story in the media often lived a short, limited and relatively quiet life. An official who gave an interview did not have to fear a shitstorm or eternal life as a ridiculous meme on social media. A few days under a headline in a daily newspaper was often the tip of the iceberg. Today, the stories are shared on social media 24/7, 365 days a year. Trolls and random opportunists create turbulence about pretty much anything. 

Journalists experience that access to documents is dragged out and rejected with crazy reasons. Officials believe that journalists try to create the perfect storm, and that access to these documents is costly without necessarily resulting in significant stories. 

Officials experience that they do not know the whole premise of a story until they are asked to line up on nationwide television and answer critical questions. Journalists experience that the authorities will not participate at all. That both politicians and officials report back that they decline to participate or that they cannot comment on a case. 

Journalists are annoyed that they cannot live up to the demands of finding as much information as possible in a case and they are especially annoyed when they cannot live up to the requirement to always hear the other party. Officials resent stories without nuances that are passed on without actually being able to respond. Stories in the media do not always reflect the world which they otherwise know so well. 

Both groups just want to take care of their work. Do it properly. 

The losers are the public. Because how would they know who is right? Are the journalists villains who just paint the world monochrome? Or are the officials just out to hide what they are actually doing? How did the mistrust start? 

We risk having a society where more and more citizens do not trust journalists or public authorities. Where conspiracy theories abound. 

Therefore, Constructive Institute will investigate the relationship between public employees and journalists. Citizens and society both deserve that professional groups can do their job. In the public’s service. 

Cooperating partners

The project takes place in collaboration with the interest organisations DJØF, The Danish Journalists’ Association – Media and Communication and the Association of Investigative Journalists as partners. The Danish School of Media and Journalism, the Center for Journalism at the University of Southern Denmark and the Center for Investigative Journalism at RUC are involved as stakeholders. The education centres contribute to and disseminate the knowledge and suggestions for better dialogue that this project collects. 

Process

We wish to use different methods that uncover best practice and lead to a kind of codex for professional co-operation between journalists and communicators in the public sector. 

Our plan is that the project consists of these phases:

1. Introductory meetings with stakeholders and researchers to develop the best starting point for the study. 

2. A survey among journalists and publicly employed communicators that uncovers problem areas and attitudes.

3. A local study of the relationship between the journalists on Funen and the Funen municipalities to identify and discuss best and worst practice for municipalities and the media.

4. Semi-structured qualitative interviews with: a. Sources in different regional, national and local cases. b. Experts 

5. Processing of qualitative data 

6. One or more creative workshops with excavation journalists, communicators and other stakeholders for that purpose to: a. Discuss problems b. Find relevant solutions = first draft of codex.

7. Publications of conclusions in different ways: website, guide and teaching. 

8. Establishment of communication ethics council.