The regulation of interviews to politicians during electoral campaigns in press, radio and television: the doctrine of the Central Electoral Commission in Spain

Abstract

The regulation of news coverage during the electoral campaign in Spain is essentially stipulated in articles 53, 66 and 69 of the Representation of the People Institutional Act (LOREG). The general principles established by this Act have been developed by the Central Electoral Commission (JEC), the highest body of the Electoral Administration, through its instructions and decisions. The doctrine of the JEC has established the fundamental criteria for the media to report with the greatest plurality and equality possible on the elections and on the political formations that attend the elections. In this communicative process, interviews with political actors, whether or not they are candidates for the elections, play a fundamental role in the formation of public opinion. In this qualitative article, we analyse the doctrine of the JEC in the last years (2011-2021) that stipulates how interviews with politicians should be carried out in the press (on paper and digital), radio and television during the electoral campaign. This work also covers the criticisms that have arisen against this model, considered obsolete after the irruption of the Internet in electoral communication processes. Social networks and other cyber spaces allow political parties and other actors to communicate directly with citizens, without the journalistic filter. Because of that, more and more voices are calling for an update of the regulation of the activity of classic media in electoral campaigns.