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Comparative Study of Journalists in BRICS Countries: Insights and Findings

This study explores the journalism landscape in BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It utilizes data from international journalism research projects to analyze journalists' profiles, working conditions, and societal roles. Through interviews with 720 journalists across major cities, the research highlights differences in media forms, job satisfaction, and professional values. The findings reveal trends such as feminization and increased educational levels among journalists, offering a comparative perspective with their Western counterparts and examining the implications of online media's rise.

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Comparative Study of Journalists in BRICS Countries: Insights and Findings

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  1. Journalists in the BRICS countries Svetlana Pasti, University of Tampere The 5th International Media Readings in Moscow Mass Media and Communication- 2013’ November 14-15, 2013

  2. Media system: Human dimension • Among the many dimensions of media systems: Journalism and the people behind it, journalists • Global comparisons in two journalist profile projects: Weaver and Willnat, eds (2012) The Global Journalist for the 21st century Hanitzsch, et al. (2012) Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS)

  3. BRICS study • Neither of these global projects included journalists from all five BRICS countries • Our study will compare the BRICS countries’ journalists: • 1) with journalists in Western countries • 2) with journalists from the countries in the second wave of the global WJS study • 3) with journalists in the BRICS countries themselves

  4. BRICS study • The study will examine differences between new and old news media • In mainstream comparative research, ONLINE NEWS MEDIA have received little attention • Number of online media continue to increase • The definition of new media is unclear

  5. New media in the BRICS study • Our study defines new online news media as separately established, registered and independent internet media organizations • They are not digital newsrooms or online versions of conventional newspapers, magazines or radio-television stations

  6. BRICS study sample: Cities • Four cities in each country • Brazil: Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro,Natal, Juiz de Fora • Russia: Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Petrozavodsk • India: Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune • China: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian • South Africa: Jonannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth

  7. BRICS study sample: Media • Traditional media and new online media • National media and local media • Different types of media (newspaper, magazine, radio, television, registered online media) • and their subcategories in terms of: quality (citizen – oriented) and popular (consumer – oriented) state – owned/public; private; mix (state – owned & private)

  8. BRICS study sample: Media • Media sample in capital and 2nd metropolis includes 12 traditional media + 12 new online media, in total 24 media, where 48 journalists are interviewed •  Media sample in two provincial cities half of above: 6 traditional media + 6 new online media, in total 12 media, where 24 journalists are interviewed. In-depth, semi-structured interview, face-to-face, using a recorder, in the native language of the interviewee

  9. Interview: Main topics • Social profile • Job Conditions: new technology, economy, satisfaction • Journalists and society: citizen participation, freedom of speech • Professionalism and ethics:perceptions on professionalism, political independence, self regulation, corruption • Present status and future of the profession

  10. Work in progress • Interviews: 144 per country, total 720 in 2013-early 2014 • Analysis and city + country reports in 2014

  11. Brazil, Russia, China in GJ and WJS • Weaver and Willnat, eds (2012) The Global Journalist in the 21st Century: 3 countries from BRICS, traditional media Findings: demographics, working conditions, values • Hanitzsch, et al. (2012) Worlds of JournalismStudy: Same 3 countries from BRICS, traditional media Findings: journalism cultures, professional autonomy, influence on news work

  12. Brazil, Russia, China in GJ: Profile • The largest populations of journalists: • China – 700,000 • Russia - 250, 000 • Brazil – 30, 000 (70, 000 from the BRICS data) • US – about 120, 000

  13. Age: GJ • Chinese journalists – the youngest - 33 • Brazilian journalists – 40 • Russian journalists– 41 • US journalists – 41 • The highest mean age was among journalists in Denmark (45) and Sweden (45)

  14. Two trends in the profession • Feminization and high education • Brazil – 40% of female 100% • Russia –60% of female 90% • China – 53% of female 93% • US – 33% of female • Special education in journalism: • Brazil – 100% • Russia – 44% • US – 36%

  15. Working conditions: Job satisfaction • Job satisfaction is linked to journalists’ perceived autonomy (Weaver 2012) • Perception of freedom is related to high job satisfaction in such countries as: Russia, the US, Chile, Colombia, Finland, Hong Kong, Israel, Korea, Malaysia, Sweden, Taiwan • Level of job satisfaction (who said ‘very satisfied’): Brazil – 21%, Russia – 19%, US – 33 %, Finland – 84%

  16. Working conditions: Job satisfaction • 3 most important predictors of job satisfaction • Brazil: ‘pay’, ‘professional recognition’ and ‘possibility for promotion’ • Russia: ‘job autonomy’, ‘opportunity to help people’ and ‘political line of the media’ • Brazilian journalists – more pragmatic, prioritizing material values (income and rising mobility) • Russian journalists – more oriented to idealistic, spiritual values (autonomy and helping people)

  17. Six main journalistic roles: GJ • Reporting news quickly – 53% • Reporting objectively – 51% • Providing analysis of events – 49% • Providing access for public – 36% • Being watchdog of government – 33% • Providing entertainment – 19%

  18. Perceptions of Roles: Brazil, Russia • Similar in support Providing analysis of events: Brazil (72%) and Russia (78%) • Different to other roles: • Reporting news quickly: Brazil (38%), Russia (81%) • Watchdog role: Brazil (15%), Russia (53%) • Providing access for public: Brazil (38%), Russia (69%)

  19. Watchdog role decreasing: GJ • Correlation is not always present between level of freedom and importance of watchdog role • In free countries (rated by Freedom house) watchdog role of government: the US journalists – 71%, Germany – 7%, Switzerland – 27%, Sweden – 22%, Netherlands – 18% • In non-free Russia (53%), partly free Brazil (15%)

  20. Watchdog role: GJ and WJS • Results does not match between the Global Journalist and Worlds of Journalism Study on the watchdog of the government: • Brazil – 15% GJ and 89% WJS • Germany – 7% GJ and 88% WJS • Switzerland – 27% GJ and 81% WJS • Indonesia – 39% GJ and 81% WJS • Chile – 39% GJ and 64% WJS

  21. Roles: GJ (WJS in brackets)

  22. WJS: Journalism cultures • Journalism culture: roles, epistemologies, professional autonomy • 3 clusters of countries along common political and cultural dimensions: • Western countries – Western journalism culture • Non-Western countries – Peripheral Western journalism culture – Brazil • Non-Western countries – Authoritarian journalism culture – China and Russia • Hypothesis: China and Russia more similar than Brazil

  23. Brazil, China, Russia in WJS: Roles • No evidence that China and Russia similar and different from Brazil • Watchdog of the government : Brazil is similar with China, Germany and Uganda • ‘Providing the audience with the information that is most interesting’: Brazil is similar with Russia and dissimilar with Germany and Austria • China and Russia are different in roles’ perception of support of official politics and advocating for social change, but similar in influence on public opinion

  24. Brazil, China, Russia: epistemologies • No confirmation of similarity between China and Russia (authoritarian culture) and difference from Brazil (peripheral western): • ‘I always stay away from information that cannot be verified’ : Brazili (54) close to Russia (50) and both different from China (88), as well as Germany (77), and Austria (84) • ‘I think that journalists can depict reality as it is’: Brazil (77) different from Russia (33) as well as Germany (35) and Austria (39)

  25. Brazil, China, Russia: Ethics • In some questions China and Russia are similar: ‘approving a situational behavior in dependence from the circumstances’, as distinct from Brazil disapproving situational ethical practice • In other questions: ‘avoiding questionable methods of reporting’ China is similar with Brazil (majority does not accept them) and different from Russia showing a high tolerance to questionable methods

  26. Brazil, China, Russia: Influences • Three most important sources of influence: • Supervisors and higher editors: China (80) and Brazil (79) similar • Management and ownership : China (81:76) and Russia (66: 62) similar • Newsroom conventions and professional conventions: important for Brazil (80: 78) not so important for China (57: 53) and Russia (60: 52)

  27. Findings of Influences • In comparison to the Western journalists: only for China and Russia ‘management’ and ‘ownership’ were on the top, whereas for Germany and Austria they were non-important and for Brazil and the USA – not so very important • This testifies about the political and economic pressures on the media and journalists in Russia and China – the double control of the state – (in)direct media owner (or manager) and the capital, non-free from the political control of the state

  28. Thanks for your attention Svetlana.pasti@uta.fi http://www.uta.fi/cmt/en/contact/staff/svetlanapasti/index.html

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