Looking back at journalism ethics research over the past decade: An analysis of research in digital journalism, journalism, journalism practice, and journalism studies, 2013-2022

Abstract

This study aims to identify research trends and central concepts in the field of journalism ethics over the past decade. Focusing on four major journals— Digital Journalism, Journalism, Journalism Practice, and Journalism Studies— this article presents key findings from a topic modeling analysis of articles published between 2013 and 2022. An analysis of 1170 journalism ethics-related studies revealed the most salient topic to be closely related to “news making practices.” This topic was followed by studies on social roles and values of journalism and ways to increase audiences’ trust and credibility in news. This study also found differences in major topics across the four journals. The articles in Journalism tended to center on news producers’ practices while approximately half of the articles in Digital Journalism focused on journalism practices in relation to technology and platforms. The second most studied topic in Journalism Practice were issues related to minority groups, such as women and children. Journalism Studies emphasized journalistic principles, such as transparency and credibility. While empirical assessments of the major trends in journalism ethics research have been lacking, this study helps fill this gap and establish a foundational understanding for future discussions on journalism ethics research, highlighting key recurring terms associated with journalism ethics.