Dpto. Ciencias Políticas, Ética y Sociología

Over the past decade, the problems arising from social communication have yet again become burning issues on social and political agendas. Information disorder, hate speeches, information manipulation, social networking sites, etc., have obliged the most important European institutions to reflect on how to meet the collective challenges that social communication currently poses in the new millennium. These European Institutions have made a clear commitment to self-regulation. The article reviews some recent European initiatives to deal with information disorder that has given a fundamental role to self-regulation. To then carry out a theoretical review of the normative notion of self-regulation that distinguishes it from the neo-liberal economicist conception. To this end, (1) a distinction is drawn between the (purportedly) self-regulating market and (2) a broader conception of self-regulation inherent not to media companies or corporations, but to the social subsystem of social communication, is proposed. This involves increasing the number of self-regulatory mechanisms that may contribute to improve social communication, and reinforcing the commitment of those who should exercise such self-regulation, including not only media companies but also the professionals working at them and the public at large.

La profesionalización del periodismo es una condición necesaria para su mejora ética y la formación del periodista ha ocupado un lugar central en ello. El artículo repasa brevemente el debate histórico sobre la formación de los periodistas, discutiendo después los argumentos habituales sobre la exigencia de titulación universitaria para ejercer. Se señala que el debate sobre la profesionalización ha insistido demasiado en España sobre esta exigencia, mientras se descuidaban otras cuestiones. El autor propone un giro en el debate: dejar la titulación en una exigencia deontológica y reconducir las energías hacia objetivos más factibles y productivos. The professionalization of journalism is a necessary condition for its ethical improvement and the journalist`s formation has played a central role in it. The article briefly considers the historical debate about education of journalists, discussing afterwards common arguments about the requirements of a university degree to exercise as a journalist. The article´s point is that in Spain he debate about the professionalization of journalism has excessively insisted on this requirement, while other aspects have been ignored. The author suggests the convenience of a turn in the debate: to let the requirement of a university degree as a deontological aspect and to rechannel the energies towards more workable and effective objectives.