Abstract

Without the professional touch, the art of gathering and dissemination of news can be done by anybody. However, because of the nature of the audience who the information is meant for, it has become important that a professional should be there to put the piece of information together for public consumption, bearing in mind their diversities. The advent of the Internet has seen news evolve from the newsroom to the smartphones of almost everybody. Citizen journalism has thrown a big challenge to professional journalism today. In a country like Nigeria where politicians have turned media organizations as organs of propaganda, it is becoming difficult to distinguish a professional journalist from a praise singer. This paper intends to look at the practice of journalism from the Nigerian perspective. Such unethical practices like “brown envelope” (money given in exchange for objectivity), government and ownership influence will be the focus of this paper, citing practical examples. The paper will make use of the Utilitarian Theory of Ethics and the Social Responsibility Theory of the press

Highlights

  • Journalism in Nigeria has its roots from the days of the struggle for independence from the British colonialists

  • Rosen [9] describes it : “When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism.” [10] sees the concept as: “User-generated media sites: characterized by the use of everyday citizens as reporters, usually unpaid, in the place of professional journalists. They take full advantage of interactive Web 2.0-type technologies that allow readers, reporters, and the professional staff to comment on stories, as well as to debate and discuss issues in ways that are impossible in traditional mass media.” [11] called it public journalism

  • That there are codes of ethics guarding the conduct of journalists is evidence that journalism is more than just a discipline

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Summary

Introduction

Journalism in Nigeria has its roots from the days of the struggle for independence from the British colonialists. Irrespective of whether a journalist is reporting for a local media organization or an international one, since it is journalism is put in practice, the same ethics apply to all.

Results
Conclusion

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