Introduction
In this report, I plan to delve into the concept of media ethics, and its application in Nigerian media practice. After that, I would then proceed to place judgment on the level of ethical practices in Nigeria. Let me start by describing what I mean by media, and then I will describe what ethics are and how they are swiftly molding our online interactions and our communities.
The word media describes any channel of communication. These are the channels in which data, education, entertainment, news, or advertisements are dispersed. Media ranges from every narrowcasting and broadcasting medium such as social media, the internet, newspapers, fax, telephone, magazines, radio, television, billboard, and electronic mail. Depending on the intentions, the word media can embody a singular or plural verb.
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Ethics, which is also known as moral philosophy, is a part of philosophy concerned with what is morally right and wrong. Ethics defends, recommends, and systemizes concepts of good or bad conduct. It is gotten from the Greek word ἠθικός ethos, which is gotten from the word ἦθος ethos, which means habit or custom.
After breaking down the two words, we can then move on to defining media ethics. Media Ethics is a branch of ethics that deals with the principles and standards of media channels, including the internet, film, theater, art, and other channels. Media ethics deals with several controversial topics. Journalist Leo Laporte, founder and owner of TWiT Network persuasively writes in the forward to the book; The Art of Community – Building The New Age of Participation by Jono Bacon. 'Community building is in the nature of all living things, from ants to anteaters, bees to beekeepers, the community, is a fundamental part of our life on the planet. '
New media has brought about connectivity, and with that, our community has become more globalized than ever, bringing about moral, cultural, and ethical problems. The media community is a member of society, so the default obligation is that their contributions to society are morally just. They have the power to influence and guide the masses; that is why the information being spread by base parts of the media, such as journalists, must be true to its core because if not.
Ethics of Journalism
How do journalists choose when to print national insider facts? How do they choose what news to compose every day? The responses to these inquiries are educated by journalistic morals, ethics, and codes, which control journalists and editors to sort for the truth and act with honesty. Journalistic ethics are qualities that guide journalists. They spread out the commitments that writers, editors, and others working in the area of journalism ought to pursue to execute their work mindfully.
Over time, the ethics of journalism has evolved. News and media companies have developed several codes of conduct, charters, and statements that outline the principles that a media journalist is meant to abide by. When they go against it, credibility is lost. There are critical moral and ethical benchmarks that show up in worldwide news associations. At the most advanced level, they approach journalists to look for the truth, defend the interest of the public, and limit the harm done to the community.
Journalists are obliged to seek accurate and truthful reports and efficiently hand them out to the masses. They have to be extremely diligent. They have to make a proper endeavor to look for all the specific points that are relevant to a scoop. Journalists also have to authenticate and run their stories with multiple sources to make sure it is true.
Journalists should shy away from having sides in politics, and they should not play the game on account of groups with particular interests. Affiliation with politics that might cause a clash with the person or group they are writing about should be said to their readers or their editors. Journalists should always be on the side of the public interest and should act accordingly. The most popular corrupt practice in the Nigerian media is the acceptance of monetary inducement from top government officials and even other individuals who may be affected by the work of the journalist. It is perhaps the most popular source of corruption in the media.
Asides from being independent, news reporters should perform no act of partiality and should never lean on one party in favor of another. Journalists should always capture the two sides of a story as they almost always tend to have more than one. Opinion writing is an exception, in any case.
Companies that are new with news dispersions such as Thisday or The Punch Nigeria are expected to listen to their audience. Journalists should always accept responsibility for their words, which enables the public to hold them responsible. They have to offer rectifications when errors are put out.
Finally, harm minimization is not every fact that should go out. If it can potentially destroy private individuals, young kids, especially, as a result of release goes past the good that it would do to the public, then news companies might choose not to release it. It is up for less consideration with public figures but huge in situations of national security when human lives could be caught in the crossfires. For example, false rumors being spread about a minister in Nigeria should not be done as this can damage their personal life and reputation.
In our current age, everyone has a say in spreading news and information due to social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Nairaland. While it does not mean that they are journalists, they should still endeavor to practice these codes of conduct. Any individual who has a presence on social media should endeavor to spread the truth and shy away from causing harm to individuals.
The Internet
New media such as the internet, which is a global extensive area network that connects computer systems across the world, has made ethical practices difficult. It is easy to access, therefore making it easy to influence public affairs. Online journalism in Nigeria came up in the early 21st century sites like Sahara Reporters. Blogs such as YNaija.com, Eagle Online, Linda Ikeji, and Bella Naija are examples of other internet sites that allow individuals to spread the news across the country.
Social media sites like Twitter allows individuals to speak their mind freely without verification. The recent rumor about Buhari dying and being replaced by a body double caused an uproar in the Nigerian community. It even led to President Muhammadu Buhari coming out to deny these rumors. Situations like this show how easy it is for rumors to scale up in today's world.
Apart from news companies' websites, bloggers are probably the most trusted online source of information. Therefore they are expected to abide by the earlier mentioned principles of journalism. Most bloggers prefer clicks to authenticity; this allows them to spread false information. Back in 2017, Kemi Olunloyo called out Linda Ikeji, after she engaged in promoting fake Kylie Jenner products. A claim that even Kylie Jenner denied. This kind of news could have led to the loss of the reputation of Kylie Jenner. This Linda Ikeji instance is one of the many instances in which fake news has gone viral online. Bloggers like Linda Ikeji must realize the amount of power they hold, and with high power comes great responsibility.
Currently, Nigeria is gearing up legislation that could see individuals facing the death penalty for anyone that indulges in hate speech. The governing body is also thinking of new media laws, and the governing body in Nigeria is being criticized for trying to deny the human right to free speech.
Media Ethics in Nigeria
Nigerian media has come a long way since Rev. Henry Townsend published Iwe Iroyin in 1859. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo even provided their news outlets to boost their political interest, which was a significant topic of discussion back in the late twentieth century. It was learned that the Nigerian newspapers from then on contributed to Nigeria gaining independence. Unlike today, where individuals want to throw information around for clicks and likes.
Back then, the spirit of patriotism and loyalty to the country spread around, and the concerns of the individuals were in focus. The people knew this, so trust in these media houses was high. Nigerian press played a large part in battling bad government policies from inception, especially during the several military rule experiences the country had. For example, the oppression during the reign of individuals like Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, and the Late Gen. Sani Abacha. Famously, the late Dele Giwa lost his life fighting for his country with his truthful pen as his only weapon. This occurrence shows the level of principal ethical values Nigeria once held.
Individuals like these should be emulated across every mass media platform in Nigeria and across. Champions of their work. Death always takes us by surprise, and it is surprising that Dele Giwa lost his life but even more surprising that he kept the values and ethics of his job. It should not be surprising, but that is the world we live in today. People like Dele Giwa wore the cape of journalism done right. Although it cost him his life, individuals in Nigeria should endeavor to carry out ethical media practices, especially in this current age of social media, where there are no checks on what is said. Media power today lies with social media, no longer print, and broadcast. In today's world, bloggers and even individuals must carry out the teachings of media ethics as information spreads faster than ever. Although it has many advantages, the current state of social media and blogging is ethically poor. This ethically poor state is because there is no qualification needed to carry out social media use, and this problem we face needs to change. Setting comprehensive standards, clarifying those standards, and putting in place a no-tolerance policy for policy infringements are among the most effective ways to start this change.
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