A New Taxonomy to Assess Newspaper Information Quality

What is it?

This article introduces a structured taxonomy for evaluating newspaper information quality, validated through a Delphi method and applied experimentally to two Venezuelan newspapers. Developed by Romero-Rodríguez and Aguaded, the model examines not only content but also organizational and labor dimensions, offering a more holistic view of press quality in politically polarized contexts.

Why is it important?

The main findings indicate that information quality is shaped by the political, economic, and professional environment of the media. In Venezuela, both public and private outlets showed significant weaknesses—one due to government control, the other due to partisan affiliation and precarious working conditions. This model enables precise diagnosis of these vulnerabilities.

How is it applied?

The taxonomy includes three indices:

• Business index: transparency, independence, regulation

• Labor index: journalist training, salary, job stability

• Content index: sources, narrative quality, diversity

Experts rated 75 indicators through a three-round Delphi study, assigning weights to each dimension. The model was then applied to 12 editions each from a public (MIPu) and private (MIPr) newspaper using Stempel’s constructed week sampling.

Key Components of the Taxonomy

1. Business Conditions

• Assesses ownership, editorial independence, internal codes, and transparency

• Public newspaper scored lower (6.91/33) due to censorship and lack of regulation

• Private paper scored modestly (14.01/33), penalized for political ties and lack of transparency

2. Journalist Work Conditions

• Measures education, pay, contract type, and staff hierarchy

• Public outlet performed better (23.44/33), reflecting higher salaries and full-time contracts

• Private media showed precarious employment and underqualified staff (15.84/33)

3. Content Quality

• Evaluates source diversity, self-produced content, editorial balance, geographic coverage

• Public media scored 16.85/34; private media 12.33/34

• Both relied heavily on international agencies and lacked investigative reporting

FAQs

Why does this model include business and labor dimensions?
Because organizational ethics and journalist conditions directly affect content quality.

Is this taxonomy applicable beyond Venezuela?
Yes. Though tested in Venezuela, it can be adapted to other contexts, especially where media independence is compromised.

What makes this model different from content-only assessments?
It captures pre-production factors like ownership interests, employment practices, and newsroom independence—areas often hidden from public view.

Final Thoughts

This study confirms that press quality is not just about good writing—it’s systemic. A truly informative newspaper depends on:

• Transparent ownership

• Protected journalistic labor

• Ethical and diverse reporting

As the authors conclude, evaluating quality requires looking beyond the news page to the structures and freedoms that make journalism possible. This taxonomy offers a concrete path to do so, especially in fragile democracies or media systems under stress.