There is academic research that observes journalists’ actions, including how they exercise their role as watchdogs within the Chilean context (see also Hellmueller & Mellado, 2016). In this regard, it has been universities dedicating themselves to observing in what way the profession is undertaken, publicising their results both within academic circles and as analysis in media themselves, in the form of columns or interviews. In this regard, after the October protests, Ciper Chile published, in their section Academic Ciper, a series of columns by academics from different universities that presented a critical view on how current events are covered in Chile.
Two more systematic projects throughout the years have been initiatives from Universidad Alberto Hurtado [University Alberto Hurtado], through its School of Journalism, which in 2008 founded the website Puroperiodismo.cl, dedicated to covering topics regarding Chilean journalism, as well as opinion columns. At the same time, the University created the Prize for Excellence in Journalism, which is the yearly instance that establishes a canon for what is considered good journalism on a national level.
Since 2017, Chile has been a part of the Reuters Institute Digital News Report, whose local partner organisation is Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. The results of the report are shared and commented upon by editors in the industry and later translated into articles, as well as conversations on Twitter.
There are independent observatories, and on both Twitter and Facebook, there is continuous conversation without any formal structure about the performances of journalists, in which professionals in the industry, academics, and audiences participate.
The National Press Association has a magazine in which it informs on issues regarding journalism; the National Council for Television has commissioned reports and panels to approach media-related topics; and the National Journalism Association publishes critical messages about journalism. Some other media houses, additionally, cover their competition’s performances, but this is rare.
