Concepts of licensed access to the journalistic profession in selected media systems

Abstract

Journalists are, in most media systems, subjected to a double control of sorts: firstly through regulatory tools created and directed by state administration institutions, and secondly by the journalistic community itself responsible for creating a system of media accountability, which consists of all self-regulatory instruments aimed at raising the degree of professionalism and ethics in national journalists. The highest level of self-regulation of the journalistic community, on the other hand, is the licensed access to the journalistic profession. The article takes as its aim the discussion of different concepts and ways of licensed access to the journalistic profession. It points out concrete examples of such solutions. Finally, it also addresses the question of the function of licensed access to fulfil journalistic duties.