Abstract
With the growth of networked digital media environment, the boundary space between mainstream journalism and citizen journalism is getting more contested. Mainstream journalists, however, draw an occupational distinction by using normative values as an ideological wall to keep amateurs from encroaching on their turf. Thus, by reviewing separate bodies of literature on the normative values journalists subscribed to worldwide and the efficiency of media accountability systems in ensuring journalistic responsibility, this chapter questions the notion of the old journalistic order as exclusive purveyor of news and information. From the synthesis of the reviewed perspectives, the chapter proposes a reconfiguration of journalistic ethical norms into accommodating citizen/online journalism practice as well as the institution of new regulatory systems that will ensure the responsibility of citizen journalism to the public. The paper further suggests directions for future studies.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allan, S. (2013). Citizen witnessing: Revisioning journalism in times of crisis. Polity Press.
American Society of Newspaper Editors. (2003). ASNE statement of principles. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/app/uploads/2014/03/mediaethics_handout6.pdf
Andén-Papadopoulos, K., & Pantti, M. (2013). Re-imagining crisis reporting: professional ideology of journalists and citizen eyewitness images. Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism, 14(7), 960–977. https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849134790
Banda, F. (2010). Citizen journalism and democracy in Africa: An exploratory study. Highway Africa.
Bastian, M. (2019). Media and accountability in Latin America. Studies in International, Transnational and Global Communications. Springer.
Beam, R. A., Weaver, D. H., & Brownlee, B. J. (2009). Changes in professionalism of US journalists in the turbulent twenty-first century. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 86(2), 277–298.
Bernstein, J. M. (1986). The public’s view of newspaper accountability. Newspaper Research Journal, 7(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/07395329860070020
Bertrand, C-J. (2007). Media accountability systems. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Bhabha, H. (1994). The location of culture. Routledge.
Black, J. (1996). Now that we have the ethics code, how do we use it? The Quill, 84, 24–25.
Carr, J. D., M. Barnidge, B. Lee, and S. J. Tsang. 2014. “Cynics and Skeptics: Evaluating the Credibility of Mainstream and Citizen Journalism.” Journalism and Communication Quarterly, 91(3): 452–470.
Carpenter, S. (2008). How online citizen journalism publication and online newspapers utilize the objectivity standard and rely on external sources. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 85(3), 531–548. https://doi.org/10.1177/107769900808500
Castells, M. (2007). Communication, power and counter-power in the network society. International Journal of Communication, 1(1), 238–266. https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/46
Christians, C. G. (1989). Self-regulation: A critical role for codes of ethics. In E. E. Dennis, D. Gillmor, & T. Glasser (Eds.), Media freedom and accountability (pp. 35–53). Greenwood.
Christians, C. G., Rao, S., Ward, S. J. A., & Wasserman, H. (2008). Toward a global media ethics: Theoretical perspectives. Ecquid Novi African Journalism Studies, 29(2), 135–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/02560054.2008.9653382
Chua, S., & Duffy, A. (2019). Friend, Foe or Frenemy? Traditional journalism actors’ changing attitudes towards peripheral players and their innovations. Media and Communication, 7(4), 112–122. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v7i4.2275
Chung, D. S., & Nah, S. (2021). Community newspaper editors’ perspectives on news collaboration: Participatory opportunities and ethical considerations toward citizen news engagement. Journalism Practice, 16(7), 1306–1326. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2020.1867621
Culver, K. B. (2017). Disengaged ethics. Journalism Practice, 11(4), 477–492. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2015.1121788
Deuze, M., & Paulussen, S. (2002). Research note: Online journalism in the low countries: Basic, occupational and professional characteristics of online journalists in Flanders and the Netherlands. European Journal of Communication, 17(2), 237–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323102017002
Eberwein, T., & Porlezza, C. (2014). The missing link: Online media accountability practices and their implications for European media policy. Journal of Information Policy, 4(1), 421–443.
Eberwein, T., Fengler, S., & Karmasin, M. (2017). The European handbook of media accountability. Routledge.
Ebo, B. L. (1994). The ethical dilemma of African journalists: A Nigerian perspective. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 9(2), 84–93. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327728jmme0902_2
Elliott-Boyle, D. (1985). A conceptual analysis of ethics codes. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 1(1), 22–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/08900528509358251
Fengler, S. (2003). Holding the News Media Accountable: A study of media reporters and media critics in the United States. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 80(4), 818–832. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699003080004
Fengler, S. (2012). From media self-regulation to ‘crowd-criticism’: Media accountability in the digital age. Central European Journal of Communication, 5(2), 175–189. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=45024
Fengler, S., Eberwein, T., Alsius, S., Baisnée, O., Bichler, K., Dobek-Ostrows, B., & Zambrano, S. V. (2015). How effective is media self-regulation? Results from a comparative survey of European journalists. European Journal of Communication, 30(3), 249–266. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323114561
Forsyth, D. R. (1980). A taxonomy of ethical ideologies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(1), 175–184. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.39.1.175
Friend, C., & Singer, J. B. (2015). Online journalism ethics: Traditions and transitions. Routledge.
Gil de Zúñiga, H., & Hinsley, A. (2013). The press versus the public: What is “good journalism?”. Journalism studies, 14(6), 926–942.
Glasser, T. L. (1992). Professionalism and the derision of diversity: The case of the education of journalists. Journal of Communication, 42(2), 131–140. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Theodore-Glasser/publication/229949603_Professionalism_and_the_Derision_of_Diversity_The_Case_of_the_Education_of_Journalists/links/59e50a1daca272390ed63fe5/Professionalism-and-the-Derision-of-Diversity-The-Case-of-the-Education-of-Journalists.pdf
Goldstein, T. (1985). The news at any cost: How journalists compromise their ethics to shape the news. Simon & Schuster.
Gordon, D., & Kittross, J. M. (1999). Controversies in media ethics (2nd ed.). Longman.
Groenhart, H. (2012). Users’ perception of media accountability. Central European Journal of Communication, 5(9), 190–203. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=45021
Gulyas, A. (2013). The influence of professional variables on journalists’ uses and views of social media. Digital Journalism, 1(2), 270–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2012.744559
Hafez, K. (2002). Journalism ethics revisited: A comparison of ethics codes in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Muslim Asia. Political Communication, 19(2), 225–250. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584600252907461
Hanitzsch, T., Hanusch, F., Mellado, C., Anikina, M., Berganza, R., Cangoz, I., Coman, M., Hamada, B., Hernández, M. E., Karadjov, C. D., Moreira, S. V., Mwesige, P. G., Plaisance, P. L., Reich, Z., Seethaler, J., Skewes, E. A., Noor, V. D., Yuen, K. W., & E. (2011). Mapping journalism cultures across nations. Journalism Studies, 12(3), 273–293. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2010.512502
Hanson, G. (2002). Learning journalism ethics: The classroom versus the real world. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 17(3), 235–247. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327728JMME1703_05
Harris, N. G. E. (1992). Codes of conduct for journalists. In A. Belsey & R. Chadwick (Eds.), Ethical issues in journalism and media (pp. 62–76). Routledge.
Hartung, B., JaCoby, A., & Dozier, D. (1988). Readers’ perceptions of purpose of Newspaper Ombudsman Program. Journalism Quarterly, 65(4), 914–919. https://doi.org/10.1177/107769908806500
Heikkilä, H., Domingo, D., Pies, J., Glowacki, M., Kus, M. & Baisnée, O. (2012). Media accountability goes online a transnational study on emerging practices and innovations. MediaAcT Working Paper series.
Hermanson, L. W. (1993). News council complainants: Who are they and what do they want? Journalism Quarterly, 70(4), 947–970. https://doi.org/10.1177/107769909307000
Herrscher, R. (2002). A universal code of journalism ethics: Problems, limitations, and proposals. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 17(4), 277–289. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327728JMME1704_03
Hong Kong Journalists Association. (2018). Code of ethics of HKJA. Retrieved from https://www.hkja.org.hk/en/code-of-ethics/code-of-ethics-of-hkja/
Iggers, J. (1999). Good news, bad news. Routledge.
Jaakkola, M. (2020). Journalists as media educators: Journalistic media education as inclusive boundary work. Journalism Practice, 16(6), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2020.1844040
Jack, M. (2010). The social evolution of citizen journalism. Canadian Journal of Media Studies, 6(1), 95–158.
Kostyu, P. (1990). Doing the right thing: Teaching ethics in journalism programs. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 5, 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327728jmme0501_4
Larson, M. S. (1977). The rise of professionalism: A sociological analysis. University of California Press.
Lasica, J. D. (2003). What is participatory journalism? Online Journalism Review, 7(8).
Lewis, S. (2012). The tension between professional control and open participation: Journalism and its boundaries. Information, Communication & Society, 15(6), 836–866. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2012.674150
Lo, V., Chan, J. M., & Pan, Z. (2005). Ethical attitudes and perceived practice: A comparative study of journalists in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Asian Journal of Communication, 15(2), 154–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/01292980500118656
Lutz, C., & Hoffmann, C. P. (2017). The dark side of online participation: Exploring non-, passive and negative participation. Information, Communication and Society, 20(6), 876–897. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2017.1293129
Mfumbusa, B. F. (2006). Media accountability challenges in sub-Saharan Africa: The limits of self-regulation in Tanzanian Newsroom. In J. Scrampickal, L. Baugh, & G. Mazza (Eds.), Cross connection, interdisciplinary communications study at the Gregorian University (pp. 259–270). Imprimatur.
Mohanty, S. (1995). Colonial legacies, multicultural futures: Relativism, objectivity, and the challenge of otherness. PMLA, 110(1), 108–118. https://doi.org/10.2307/463198
Ndangam, L. N. (2006). ‘Gombo’: Bribery and the corruption of journalism ethics in Cameroon. Ecquid Novi African Journalism Studies, 27(2), 179–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/02560054.2006.9653350
Nigerian Press Council. (1998). Code of ethics for Nigerian journalists. Jet Printing Press.
Örnebring, H. (2013). Anything you can do; I can do better? Professional journalists on citizen journalism in six European countries. The International Communication Gazette, 75(1), 35–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/17480485124617
Patterson, P., & Wilkins, L. (2005). Media ethics: Issues and cases (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Phillips, A. (2010). Transparency and the new ethics of journalism. Journalism Practice, 4(3), 373–382. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512781003642972
Plaisance, P. L. (2000). The concept of media accountability reconsidered. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 15(4), 257–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327728JMME1504_5
Plaisance, P. L., Skewes, E. A., & Hanitzsch, T. (2012). Ethical orientations of journalists around the globe: Implications from a cross-national survey. Communication Research, 39(5), 641–661. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650212450
Pritchard, D. (1993). The impact of newspaper ombudsmen on journalists’ attitude. Journalism Quarterly, 70(1), 77–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699093070001
Quandt, T. (2018). Dark participation. Media and Communication, 6(4), 36–48. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v6i4.1519
Reinardy, S., & Moore, J. (2007). When do journalists learn about ethics? An examination of introductory and graduating students’ ethical perceptions. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 62(2), 161–175. https://doi.org/10.1177/107769580706200
Rest, J. R. (1994). Background: Theory and research. In J. R. Rest & D. Narvaez (Eds.), Moral development in the professions. Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.
Salaudeen, M.A. (2021) From personal to professional: exploring the influences on journalists' evaluation of citizen journalism credibility. Journalism Practice, 16(10), 2040–2063.
Seib, P., & Fitzpatrick, K. (1997). Journalism ethics. Harcourt Brace.
Shoemaker, P. J., & Reese, S. D. (1996). Mediating the message: Theories of influences on mass media content. Longman Publishers.
Simons, G. (2016). The impact of social media and citizen journalism on mainstream Russian news. Russian Journal of Communication, 8(1), 33–51.
Singer, J. B. (2003). Who are these guys? The online challenge to the notion of journalistic professionalism. Journalism, 4(2), 139–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884903420
Singer, J. B. (2007). Contested autonomy. Journalism Studies, 8(1), 79–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616700601056866
Singer, J. B., & Ashman, I. (2009). User-generated content and journalistic values. In S. Allan & E. Thorsen (Eds.), Citizen journalism: Global perspectives. Global crises and the media (Vol. 1, pp. 233–242). Peter Lang.
Son, T. (2002). Leaks: How do codes of ethics address them? Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 17(2), 155–173. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327728JMME1702_05
Stacks, D.W. & Wright, D.K. (1986, August). A study of reactions to ethical dilemma in public relations. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Norman, OK.
Traber, M. (1997). Conclusion: An ethics of communication worthy of human beings. In C. Christians & M. Traber (Eds.), Communication ethics and universal values (pp. 327–343). Sage.
Tuchman, G. (1972). Objectivity as strategic ritual: An examination of Newsmen’s notions of objectivity. American Journal of Sociology, 77(4), 660–679. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/225193
University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. (2016). Understanding media and culture: An introduction to mass communication. Retrieved from https://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/
van der Wurff, R., & Schönbach, K. (2014). Audience expectations of media accountability in the Netherlands. Journalism Studies, 15(2), 121–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2013.801679
von Krogh, T. (2012). Changing political attitudes towards media accountability in Sweden. Central European Journal of Communication, 5(9), 204–223. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=45023
Waisbord, S. (2013). Reinventing professionalism: Journalism and news in global perspective. Polity Press.
Walker, D. (2022). There’s a camera everywhere: How citizen journalists, cellphones, and technology shape coverage of police shootings. Journalism Practice, 16(10), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1884990
Ward, S. J. A. (2005). Philosophical foundations for global journalism ethics. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 20(1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327728jmme2001_2
Ward, S. J. A. (2010). Global journalism ethics. McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Ward, S. J. A., & Wasserman, H. (2010). Towards an open ethics: Implications of new media platforms for global ethics discourse. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 25(4), 275–292. https://doi.org/10.1080/08900523.2010.512825
Wasserman, H., & Rao, S. (2008). The glocalization of journalism ethics. Journalism, 9(2), 163–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884907086873
Weaver, D. H., & Wilhoit, C. (1986). The American journalist: A portrait of US. News people and their work. Indiana University Press.
Wilkins, L., & Coleman, R. (2004). The moral media: How journalists reason about ethics. Routledge.
Wolfgang, J. D. (2018). Taming the ‘Trolls’: How journalists negotiate the boundaries of journalism and online comments. Journalism, 22(1), 139–156. https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849187623
Wulfemeyer, K. T. (1989). Freebies and moonlighting in local TV news: Perceptions of news directors. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 4(2), 232–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/08900528909358346
Zelizer, B. (2005). Journalism through the camera’s eye. In S. Allan (Ed.), Journalism: Critical Issues (pp. 167–176). McGraw-Hill.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Salaudeen, M.A. (2024). Towards an Inclusive Journalism: A Review of Ethical Norms and Accountability Systems. In: Barkho, L., Lugo-Ocando, J.A., Jamil, S. (eds) Handbook of Applied Journalism. Springer Handbooks of Political Science and International Relations. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48739-2_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48739-2_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-48738-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-48739-2
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)