Usability of transparency portals: Examination of perceptions of journalists as information seekers

Abstract

Transparency in public institutions is relevant only in so far as the disclosed information is useful for the stakeholders who access it. Hence, we ask: what do users do with the information they obtain through transparency laws? Despite the growing interest in transparency research, the ways transparency portals are used to gather information remain strikingly understudied. We study the use of proactively and reactively disclosed information under four different transparency laws. Data are collected in the Republic of Ireland through a survey of what is generally considered to be the main category of users, benefiters, and guardians of transparency, namely journalists. This is one of the first surveys of the media's use of resources intended to ensure greater transparency in politics and offers a standard approach to the study of open government as a means to improve democratic governance.

Examining the Impact of Transparency Portals on Media Coverage

“…Our results also support the role of media in the dissemination of Portal data, both in terms of how it is used and the informational context provided. Crepaz and Kneafsey (2021) argue that media plays a key role in data dissemination and our findings confirm this claim. At the same time, our results also agree with Diez-Garrido and Campos-Domínguez (2018) that the media's use of data is limited.…”

“…In this regard, Lourenço (2016) and García-García and Alonso-Magdaleno (2022) suggest that Portals have been used to support argumentation in public policy debates. Similarly, Crepaz and Kneafsey (2021) stated that despite abundant evidence that media are major users of Portals, their role in data access and dissemination has not been studied. In contrast, Díez-Garrido and Campos-Domínguez (2018) pointed out their scarce use in media.…”

Lobbying transparency and attitudes towards interest groups: a survey experiment

“…To be clear, I am not denying the usefulness of lobbying regulation. Transparency in lobbying was found to 'civilise the behaviour' of elite actors (Naurin 2007), support competition in lobbying (Crepaz 2020) and journalists in their profession (Crepaz and Kneafsey 2021). Moreover, individuals aware that lobbying is (heavily) regulated are found to have higher trust in government institutions and lower perceptions in the widespread of corruption (Kanol 2018).…”

“…When reformers say that lobbying regulation will 'help promote a more positive perception' of the role of lobbyist (Mahon Tribunal 2012: 2529) they need to be aware that such goal is more difficult to achieve than generally assumed. It may, for example, have to be mediated by some other agent (such as the media) that reports the disclosed information (Lindstedt and Naurin 2010;Crepaz and Kneafsey 2021). The role of such agent, however, may adopt framing of the information that is different from the neutral one used here to test the effects of transparency.…”

“…7 The reporting of information about lobbying activities is rare but not unprecedented in the Irish media. Broadsheets occasionally report stories about lobbying, with information directly taken from the lobbying register (Crepaz and Kneafsey 2021). These stories often involve suspected cases of corruption, undue influence or questions about conflict of interest.…”