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Public relations practitioners and journalists in South Korea (n=300) were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the influence of 11 types of informal relations (ranging from press tours to perks and bribes) on the news. Using coorientational analysis, the perceptions of each group regarding the ethics of informal relations were also investigated. The two groups reported significantly different perceptions of the influence of informal relations on the news, as well as the ethics of informal relations. Practitioners perceive greater influence of informal relations on news coverage as well as on news content, and perceive informal relations as more ethical or acceptable in practice than do journalists. Regarding informal relations, journalists’ perceived gap between their own ethical values and their predictions of practitioners’ ethical values is bigger than the converse. Finally, practitioners’ misunderstanding of journalists’ ethical values is greater than journalists’ misunderstanding of practitioners’ ethical values. This study indicates that even in a culture where press clubs and interpersonal media relations are the norm and could be expected to breed familiarity, attitudinal differences between practitioners and journalists are striking.

Codes of ethics are important instruments in journalism, as they promote transparency and self-regulation of media, in addition to monitoring the quality of information. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the perceptions that Spanish journalists have of the effectiveness of codes of ethics and to evaluate the different personal and professional variables which condition this vision.

The methodology used in the present study is based on quantitative content analysis using the survey technique. This technique makes it possible to obtain empirical data on various key aspects of the profession that are determining factors in ascertaining Spanish journalists’ views of one of the instruments of accountability that is external to the media: general ethical codes.

The results show that Spanish journalists are largely confident in the effectiveness of ethical codes in their profession. Likewise, it was seen that variables such as age, professional experience or the media with which they work influence the perceptions that professionals have of such instruments.

If understanding journalism as a profession whose mission is to guarantee the citizens their right to information, then it is essential to be familiar with the tools provided by the profession itself to be accountable to the public regarding this professional mission. Hence the importance of instruments of accountability and the perceptions of the professionals themselves regarding their effectiveness.

The purpose of this research is to develop understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Media. It reports on differing media interpretations, perceptions and perspectives of CSR and how they are prone to shift and change in part depending on the perceived definition and issue(s) discussed.

The article reports on primary research findings that constitute a baseline study from which intra‐ and inter‐national comparative analysis of CSR and the media might in future studies be progressed. Qualitative and quantitative data are used to gain insight to competing definitions and definitional components of CSR.

The media view organisations' engagement with CSR through one or more of five possible orientations: Conformist, Cynic, Realist, Optimist and Strategic Idealist. These theoretical constructs are explained and their utility and usefulness as tools of practical analysis explored through application. Despite being open to positive news coverage media reports of CSR issues are largely negative in tone and the tension inherent to the Corporate Social Irresponsibility (CSI) and CSR dualism is alluded to.

Exploring how the media interprets and understands CSR the article will be of interest and relevance to public relations and communication practitioners, policy makers and the academic community. Existing theoretical models, concepts and frameworks have the potential to be further developed and informed by these practice‐based primary research findings. “Real‐world” application has the potential to shape, guide and inform theoretical constructs. The article is set in the context of increasing media interest in CSR and the primary data whilst informing theoretical frameworks also furthers understanding of the concept from academic, business practitioner and stakeholders' perspectives.

Given the considerable challenges posed by disinformation to both society and journalism, how do news media outlets in Hispanic America and Spain address this pervasive global phenomenon? The purpose of this study is to evaluate the extent to which these outlets embrace recommendations from academic, professional and institutional spheres for countering false contents.

A qualitative content analysis was used using variables linked to transparency, verification and potential errors incurred. This study comprehensively analyses the ethical codes of 34 digital native outlets spanning 12 Hispanic American countries (Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela), as well as Spain.

The key findings reveal significant variations in adherence to the recommended guidelines. Particularly striking is the disparity between compliance with transparency and verification compared to notably higher adherence to measure aimed at rectifying errors. This exploratory study paves the way for further research on additional countries.

Ethical codes are a fundamental instrument of media accountability. Nevertheless, their utility in the fight against misinformation has barely been addressed. This study is pioneering in the field of disinformation and ethical codes within digital native media outlets in Hispanic America and Spain.

The purpose of this paper is to describe media perceptions of public relations in New Zealand and to explore the reasons behind these perceptions with a view to identifying what public relations practitioners and Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) can do to improve the perceptions and build a better working relationship given the key nature of the public relations‐media relationship.

A total of 30 editors, news managers, business editors and senior news reporters from a full range of New Zealand's radio, television, print and online media were interviewed in late 2007. Maori and Pacific Island media were also included in order to gather perspectives from the non‐mainstream.

Media perceptions of public relations in New Zealand are largely (but not exclusively) negative. The relationship has four faces – sworn enemies; traditional rivals; close collaboration; and being in a different place (not connecting). Antagonism from media practitioners is largely based on experiences with public relations practitioners but also on self created identities. Variations are due to power differentials such as self and other definition, realities in the media landscape, and perceived misalignment of interests.

This study only looks at the relationship from a media persective. A similar study of public relations practitioner perspectives would be the sensible next step. Further investigation of ethnic models of media and public relations are needed because they have not been done before and they may produce fresh ways of understanding and framing public relations.

This study argues that outright media hostility is hypocritical and unhelpful but that professional rivalry is healthy. Public relations practitioners in New Zealand need to improve their treatment of the media at a relational level and learn how to relate to other cultures more effectively. This is crucial because the strongest influence on media perceptions of public relations is the behaviour of public relations practitioners.

This study focuses on the perceptions of senior media in New Zealand. It demonstrates the array of perceptions and reveals that ethnic media feels disconnected from mainstream public relations. This study explains why this is and suggests some practical steps to take to remedy this rift. It also identifies more general measures public relations practitioners need to take to improve the crucial public relations‐media relationship.

The appropriation of artificial intelligence (AI) into everyday workplace practices is becoming pervasive. Some of the industries that have seen the improved appropriation of AI include the automotive industry, food chains and other retail businesses. The media industry in developed countries has also been appropriating AI into newsrooms ecologies. This development has left news media workers, especially in developing countries, questioning the viability of their jobs in the foreseeable future as machines take over and disrupt newsmaking and production processes. The unknowns that come with AI adoption have been met with both utopian and dystopian views in African newsrooms, especially in countries that understand less on how to deploy AI affordances. Premised on the technology acceptance model and the concept of technological appropriation and a qualitative methodology that used structured interviews with community media journalists from the Western Cape province of South Africa, this chapter examined journalists' perceptions of AI deployment in the community media space. The findings of the study show that community media journalists hold both utopian and dystopian views on the utility of AI in the community media space. While most journalists perceive AI as enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of the newsmaking process, there is a significant number of journalists who perceive AI as inimical to the legitimacy and credibility of the profession. Furthermore, AI is also seen as a threat to jobs within the journalism profession. These findings resonate with previous studies that have shown that journalists are divided on the perceived utility of AI in newsrooms.

The purpose of this study is to look into Italian PR practitioners' opinions on whether or not specific social networks, the personalised networks of influence, are perceived to be one of the main strategic resources and the degree of relevance they give to such networks. Personalised networks of influence are also tested with Italian journalists.

The data of the study were gleaned from a survey on PR practitioners' and journalists' self‐perceptions and perceptions of each other that was conducted in Italy from March to October 2007. The survey was based both on qualitative data collected through personal interviews with senior PR practitioners and journalists and on quantitative data gathered through an online, close‐ended questionnaire. The study is based on the analysis of the survey data on personal influence.

The findings show no statistical difference between PR practitioners and journalists. PR practitioners and journalists did not perceive the importance of having personalized networks of influence differently with regard to their professional activities, although they valued more significantly having strong professional skills than personalised networks for their career advancement.

The study offers new insights into the personal influence model and the concept of influence and power in relation to public relations practitioners' career advancement and professional activities.

Tracing audience preferences via audience analytics software has become a vital strategy for many news organizations to ensure their competitiveness in media markets. Extant research also confirms the growing presence of these tools in digital news work in recent years across many local and international news media. However, little is understood about the analytics-driven tensions emerging among journalists and media managers. This paper aims to address this gap by drawing on the labor process theory, which critically analyzes labor and workplace transformations under capitalism.

The present study employs an interview-based qualitative methodology to deeply understand the factors at the base of the emerging tensions between news workers and managers brought about by audience metrics tools.

Results show how some perceptions, activities and contextual triggers related to analytics could make relationships between workers and managers problematic. The pressures felt by some journalists stemmed from the way their media managers introduced, interpreted, communicated and applied analytics in the workplace, which were not tied to the quality and learning goals related to journalists’ aspirations. As our evidence suggests, the analytics-induced tensions among news workers were rather an outcome of managerial deficits than of systematic plans to exploit journalists.

By identifying the nature of fundamental analytics-driven tensions in newsrooms, this paper contributes to our understanding of how media managers can embrace more effective approaches toward audience analytics, workforce and organizational performance.

Journalists moving into corporate communication have for many years been regarded as a move to the “dark side”. This paper turns the lens to explore how trained journalists working as internal communication practitioners due to their journalistic self-concept and skills can contribute to internal communication.

An interview study was conducted with twelve trained journalists working with internal communication in different types of organizations. Three indicators of professionalism, namely autonomy, altruism and expert knowledge, were used as categories to structure the interviews and analysis.

The respondents perceived that their journalistic self-concept and skills helped them identify the employee perspective, write relevant stories and deliver them quickly. Furthermore, their courage and lack of fear of authorities enabled them to challenge decisions made by their senior managers, especially regarding how, what and when to communicate.

The three indicators of the journalist profession, – autonomy, altruism and journalistic knowledge and skills – may help establish internal communication that is relevant, transparent and trustworthy.

Organizations may benefit from building their internal communication around the three indicators of the journalist profession. They could, for example, host independent internal media that present the employees’ perspective and maintain a critical attitude to the organization in a relevant and compelling manner.

Few studies have explored the role of journalists working as internal communication practitioners and their contributions to internal communication.