Self-regulation of offline and online journalism in Spain in the experience of the Arbitration, Complaints and Ethics Commission

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study on the Journalism Ethics Commission of the Federation of Associations of Spanish Journalists (FAPE), as a body for the self-regulation of journalism in Spain. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of this Commission during its first decade of existence. On the other hand, the study presents an analysis of the Commission’s doctrine on online journalism, to determine whether conventional ethical principles are used to solve the new ethical dilemmas. It will be demonstrated that the ethical principles of journalism have not changed but that it would be convenient to establish more specific ethical guidelines that are more adjusted to the challenges of online journalism, as it would contribute to clarifying the responsibilities of professional journalists in an environment of great confusion.