Watching and teaching: two roles of latin american media watchers

• Autor(a) principal: Damas, Susana Herrera
• Data de Publicação: 2006
• Outros Autores: Christofoletti, Rogério
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Em Questão (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/EmQuestao/article/view/8
• topic: Observatórios de meios; América Latina; funções; Media watching; Latin America; Observatorios de medios. América Latina.

This article analyzes the functions of media watchers in Latin America, attempting to provide new elements to devise a profile of these initiatives. Nine cases are studied, their counterpoint being interviews with those in charge of the media watchers. It enumerates six functions exerted by media watchers: a) revising the content and offers of the media; b) conducting studies, devising accounts and comparative analyses; c) publishing or spreading out the results of their performances; d) collecting consumers’ complaints, criticism and comments; e) enabling the audience to be critical when consuming the media; f) enabling journalists to produce a higher quality journalism. These functions fit into two distinct characteristic roles of the Latin American media watchers: I) watching journalists and the press and II) teaching the different kinds of public and even journalists in the search for more ethical information products and of higher quality.