The quality of media and the use of sources in the local reference press in Spain

Abstract

The evaluation of sources of information is essential to measure the quality of journalistic work. The special nature of local press, that deal with the closest news and satisfy the everyday needs of the audience, becomes the most valid sample to know the real incidence the sources of information have in the quality in journalism according to their number, typology, origin and own initiative. This article shows the results of a qualitative and quantitative study on the news published in the print edition of Spanish local reference newspapers in order to analyse them by qualitatively measuring of the informative product according to the way reporters use their sources and from the application of Added Value in Journalism method (VAP) and statistical techniques.