Exploring the ethical fabric: an analysis of the interaction between journalistic principles, newsroom routines and ethics in the resolutions of the Ethics Council of Chilean Media

Purpose: This study aims to examine the relationship between journalistic principles, newsroom routines and ethics from the perspectives of complainants, media outlets and the Ethics Council in the resolutions issued by the Ethics Council of the Chilean Media Federation. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the resolutions issued by the Council over the past 10 years, a content analysis was conducted on the texts of audience complaints, media responses and Council rulings. The purpose of this content analysis is to discover whether a lack of ethics or ethics compliance is argued with the application or lack of application of principles and/or the application or lack of application of routines, or both. Findings: The findings reveal that complainants, media outlets and the Ethics Council value different principles and routines in relation to journalistic ethics. Complainants use routines as a basis to accuse media outlets of ethical violations, whereas media outlets use them to defend themselves by arguing that their behavior was ethical. The Ethics Council, on the other hand, uses both journalistic routines and principles as reference frameworks to determine whether there has been an ethical breach by a media outlet. Generally, the Council establishes a direct connection between well-applied routines and adherence to journalistic principles, leading to ethical journalistic practices. Research limitations/implications: This study is limited because it only considers resolutions issued over the past 10 years. It may be interesting to determine whether the resolutions of the first 20 years of the Council tend to prioritize the same principles and routines or whether there is an evolution in the arguments presented by complainants, media outlets and the Council. This comparison can be made in a future study. It is also limited because the data on principles and routines are highly influenced by the type of case being addressed. Originality/value: This study is of particular interest today. At a global level, the rise of social media and the “ethical vagueness” that they raise confuses audiences and challenges the way professional media work. At the local level, Chile is facing new definitions of freedom of the press and of expression as part of ongoing efforts to draft a new constitution. This extends to the self-regulation of media and the sphere in which journalistic ethics is deployed.