Ethics in citizen journalism: incident of teenage girl molestation in India

Abstract

Purpose New media is reshaping mediated communication. This paper aims to examine whether the online community is concerned about ethical issues in citizen journalism. Design/methodology/approach The study uses critical thematic analyses to examine 1,402 comments posted in response to two YouTube videos of teenage girl molestation in India. This method was appropriate, as it will show how public reacts to information disseminated by common citizens and also show whether ethics are related to citizen journalism. Findings Results show that although some viewers questioned the cameraperson’s and the passerby’s morality, several supportive comments praised the cameraperson’s presence of mind and courage. Furthermore, it shows that while some viewers vilified the victim, others advocated a more prudent response. This shows ambiguity regarding ethics in cyberspace. The mixed reactions present strong evidence to challenge the idealistic and exceedingly rational original notion of the public sphere as homogenous or integrated on issues of public concern. Instead, result exhibits an emergence of pluralistic, intersecting and contending publics that are created by new communication technologies like the internet. Research limitations/implications The study was specific to a particular context thereby lacking generalizability. However, it implies further investigation of social agency and the underlying politics in the move from local to global. Originality/value These findings necessitate a reconceptualization of cyberspace ethics to accommodate the new publics that have materialized from new media technologies.

Analysis of CyberMedia Ethical Code Violations on Online News Media

“…For instance, Jessica Roberts' study focused on erosion or ethical change due to various journalism activities in the social media platform writing one of the journals (Roberts, 2019). Similarly, other journals only tended to highlight practical journalism ethics for some instances, such as an article by Pande (Pande, 2017), Mauri-Ríose et al (Mauri-Ríos et al, 2020), as well as Gonzalez & Lecaros (Gonzalez & Lecaros, 2020).…”

“…The primary main points that professional journalists must be concerned about are honesty, seeking truth, avoiding harm, independent working, and responsibility. They make ethical codes necessary (Pande, 2017). Another thing that should be organized in an ethical code is confirming issues before news reporting and admitting their fault, which also becomes a concern in the journalistic code (Pande, 2017).…”

“…They make ethical codes necessary (Pande, 2017). Another thing that should be organized in an ethical code is confirming issues before news reporting and admitting their fault, which also becomes a concern in the journalistic code (Pande, 2017).…”

Community Newspaper Editors’ Perspectives on News Collaboration: Participatory Opportunities and Ethical Considerations Toward Citizen News Engagement

“…The few existing narratives of contemporary newsrooms point to a lack of understanding and consensus in definitions and jurisdictions (Johnston and Wallace 2017) along with closed processes resulting in exclusive perspectives (Culver 2017). The Internet and its participatory online spaces present new opportunities and complexities (Pande 2017). It is important to examine how journalism content is negotiated as a wide range of information makes its way into the newsroom and then to the local communities.…”