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94 Communication Theory & Research

FREE MEDIA
have
RESPONSIBILITIES
in the form of
OBLIGATIONS
which are either:

ASSIGNED CONTRACTED SELF-IMPOSED or DENIED

for which they are held
ACCOUNTABLE
(legally, socially or morally)
either in the sense of:

LIABILITY ANSWERABILITY
for harm caused or for quality of performance

FIGURE 7.1 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEDIA FREEDOM, RESPONSIBILITY
AND ACCOUNTABILITY

interests. These comments serve to reinforce the view that we face a major
dilemma in reconciling the interests of society with current trends of media
development. Not only is it more difficult to control the media directly, but the
forms of accountability, which are more desirable on libertarian grounds, and
more suited to an information society, are also becoming less easy to realize.
Figure 7.1 presents a summary of these points concerning responsibility and
accountability.

Lines of accountability

As we have noted, to be accountable is to answer to some particular claimant
outside the media, implying some kind of a relationship. In reality the situation
is very complex with an important distinction to be made between lines of
accountability within a media organization and those between it and outside
claimants. Internal accountability is not the main issue here, although it is
extremely important and has implications for relations with society. The
fulfilment of obligations to society often depends on the willingness of owners
to apply internal controls and the capacity of managers to put them into effect.
It is not only a matter of effective control but also of legitimacy, since some
certain media roles can claim a degree of autonomy on grounds of professionalism,
personal conscience, artistic licence or simply free speech. The tension between
accountability and freedom is also manifested within the walls of the media,
even if it is often concealed from outside view. This means that we cannot rely
on strong management to deal with the alleged sins of the media. In an age of
media moguls, this would be a recipe for totalitarianism.