ABSTRACT
Can we talk of a unique model of European journalism that is different from the one that is commonly defined as the “Anglo-American”, “Anglophone” or “Anglo-Saxon” model? Does a unique European model exist, or do models exist that differ from country to country? As we shall see, the answer to these questions is neither simple nor unambiguous. It could be articulated following two main contradictory lines. First of all, no, a unique European model of professional journalism does not exist as there are important differences between the different national models of the old continent. Nevertheless, at the same time, there are particular features that are common to professional journalism in most of the continental European countries and that, on the contrary, seem to be missing in the USA and Great Britain where a model of journalism defined as Anglo-American is practised. If the perspective of comparison is privileged, and not the one of unifying characteristics within the old continent, one must affirm that, yes, a European model does exist with several specific characteristics that differentiate it from other models.
