THE EFFECT OF COMMERCIAL NEWS ON THE ETHICS OF JOURNALISM

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

In journalism, one of the biggest pillars in each democratic society includes being an important source for the people, accountability and making informed decisions. Ethical values which include integrity, accuracy, fairness, objectivity, balance, independence and accountability are the key values which form the basis of the profession in order to serve public interests..

However, in the last few decades, the commercialization of the media industry has had considerable impact on journalism. Commercial news is the type of news which has been affected by economic considerations, including paid news, sponsored news, and advertorials. With the decline in advertising revenues and competition among media houses, along with the need to be profitable, the economic aspect has gained prominence in the selection and dissemination of news..

There have been ethical dilemmas raised due to the commercialization of news. It has been argued by critics that there is a tendency by the media houses to emphasize on stories that are sensational, celebrity gossip, political propaganda and paid stories as a result of the search for profit. As a result, there will be pressure by the media owners, advertising agencies, politics and corporations on the journalists..

The problem of commercialization of news is becoming increasingly prominent in Nigeria. A lot of media houses have to depend on income from the paid-for news because of lack of proper financing, poor pay for journalists, and rising costs of running media houses. The process has made it difficult to draw a line between news and advertisement..

The journalistic code of ethics states that journalists should be objective, independent, and responsible while representing the interest of the general public. But the commercial nature of news results in the conflict of interest where journalists hide facts, blow information out of proportion, or give positive coverage to their clients. This is not only unprofessional but affects the credibility of journalism itself..

Ethical issues surrounding business news are not only relevant to individual journalists but also to the integrity of the media as a whole. As soon as people suspect that news are biased due to financial interests rather than facts, they start to lose their faith in journalism as an occupation. It can lower the influence of media, undermine civil activity, and open a way for manipulations and propaganda. For this reason, it is necessary to analyze the influence that the commercialization of news has on the ethics of journalism. This paper aims at analyzing the effects of commercialized news on the ethics of journalism.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The main duty of journalism lies in providing unbiased, objective, and true information to the society. Nevertheless, the growing economic pressure is posing problems for the journalists in upholding these values.

Nowadays, most of the media companies rely on sponsored news, political connections, and advertisement income in order to survive. Due to such reasons, the news itself gets affected more by the money factor rather than by the newsworthiness of the issue. The news that can generate money receives priority over the citizens' matters..

On top of that, journalists very often face tough ethical choices when they are pushed by advertisers politicians business organizations, and media owners. These kinds of pressures can cause biased reporting, keeping important stories hidden, changing facts, and breaking codes of professional ethics. All of these have played a part in the fall of public trust in journalism..

Despite the various studies done on the topic of news commercialization, there still seem to be some worries about the continued effect of commercial news on the ethics of journalism. This paper seeks to look at the effect of commercial news on the ethics of journalism..

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The general objective of this study is to examine the effect of commercial news on the ethics of journalism.

The specific objectives are to:

1.     Analyse the connection between commercial journalism and journalism ethics.

2.     Find out how commercial journalism affects the objectivity and fairness of journalism.

3.     Analyze the effects of commercial journalism on public opinion about media.

4.     Discuss the ethical problems faced by journalists due to commercial journalism.

5.     State some ways to encourage ethical journalism despite commercial journalism..

1.4 Research Questions

The study seeks to answer the following questions:

1. To what extent is the commercial aspect of news related to the ethics of journalism?

2. What is the impact of commercial news on the principles of objectivity and fairness in journalism?

3. In what ways does commercial news influence the public's trust in the media?

4. What ethical issues arise for journalists due to commercialization?

5. What ways are there to ensure good ethics in journalism, even with the presence of commercial factors?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

H₀: Commercial news has no significant effect on the ethics of journalism.

H₁: Commercial news has a significant effect on the ethics of journalism.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This research will add to our understanding of ethics in journalism and media commercialization. Journalists will be the ones to benefit as raises their ethical challenges awareness concern commercialization of news.

Those who own and run media can understand better the balancing act between making profit and being ethically responsible. Students and scholars of journalism will appreciate this as their academic reference work.

In their policy discussions and when laying down media codes of conduct, legislators and media regulators will also benefit from these research outcomes. Eventually, this study will help in the activities directed towards winning back public trust in journalism through elevating norms, openness, and responsible media..

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study focuses on the effect of commercial news on the ethics of journalism. It examines how commercialization influences objectivity, fairness, credibility, independence, and accountability in journalism. The study is limited to journalism practice within Nigeria.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Commercial News: The type of news that is dependent on business, sponsorship, advertisement, or payment for coverage.

Ethics of Journalism: The ethical values and norms to which a journalist has to adhere in order to remain truthful, fair, objective, independent, and responsible.

Newsgame: The process of treating news as a commodity to derive money from sponsored news reports, paid news, or advertorials.

Objectivity: The process of presenting facts without any personal bias or favoritism.

Public Trust: The degree of belief the audience places in the credibility of the media.