Comparison between the Journalistic Cultures of Switzerland, Spain and Ecuador. The effects of context influences on the journalists’ perception of professional roles and the idea of objectivity

The number of worldwide, comparative journalistic culture researches is increasing. More and more, the samples of countries for comparisons are putting No-Western cultures at the center of its enquiry. In this article we analyze the self-perception of professional roles and the idea of objectivity of Swiss, Spanish and Ecuadorian journalists. To study these dimensions we use fieldwork based on in-depth interviews with 70 journalists from 15 media in three countries and multilevel analysis of the context influences. The objective is to determine the journalists’ self-perception of their professional roles and the idea of objectivity as an ideal and method within their contexts. Results show that Spanish journalists tend to have an interventionist roll and are opposed to the government. Swiss journalists tend towards greater passivity and objectivity than Spanish journalists and, even though they do not see themselves as watchdogs, they have a critical position towards the centers of power. And, finally, Ecuadorian journalists believe themselves to be neutral and impartial professionals, feeling that they must inform the citizens, and the objectivity as philosophical concept is not as a goal for their profession