Mainstream Editors’ Perception of Ethical Journalism Practices and Fake News Disseminationin Nigeria
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Date
2024-12
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Lead City University, Ibadan
Abstract
Globally, compliance to ethical standards among journalists is the norm. However, the state of unethical practices noticed in newspaper, electronics and online media practice in Nigeria is presumably, on an all-time high due to fake news dissemination, lack of objectivity and decency in their reportage. The central issue in discussions on ethics in Nigeria is ethical journalism practice and preponderance of fake news resulting in serious ethical breaches among mainstream editors in Nigeria. Therefore, this study examined the perception of mainstream editors on ethical journalism practices and fake news dissemination in Nigeria. The study was anchored on Social Responsibility Media Theory while a self-designed structured questionnaire was employed for data collection. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. Data was gathered using a questionnaire instrument through Google Forms. Sample was selected using systematic sampling technique. A total enumeration technique was adopted to access 116 registered mainstream editors across Nigeria. The study found the level of ethical journalism practices among mainstream journalists in Nigeria was high while mainstream editors were found to observe the ethics of journalistic practice. The perception of Nigerian Mainstream editors journalism practices was found to be positive, which implies that mainstream editors were favourably disposed to ethics of journalistic practice in Nigeria. However, dissemination of fake news was found to be rampant as well as the perception of Nigerian mainstream editors on fake news dissemination among journalists in Nigeria. The study recommends that mainstream editors should pay more attention to ethical journalism practices among their reporters while dissemination of fake news should be discouraged among media practitioners.
Keywords: Ethical Issues, Journalism practices, Fake News & Mainstream Editors
Word Count: 257
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Keywords
Ethical Issues, Journalism practices, Fake News & Mainstream Editors
Citation
Kate Turabia