Social Media: A Turning Point into Global Journalism Identity and Ethics

Abstract

Social media are growing drastically representing a further step in the ongoing deterioration of journalism profession and ethics. The lines between professional journalists and amateurs have been blurred; consequently, the structure of news media has substantially changed affecting the core traits of the profession and its ethics. This phenomenon has challenged the already disputed concepts of journalism as profession and journalists as professionals. While this challenge is tremendous, research on its implications to journalism identity and ethics is scant. The existing literature focuses on new or digital media usage, newsgathering, production, dissemination, and consumption, with little emphasis on journalism ethics or the profession itself. This chapter seeks to examine how social media contribute to the ethical dilemmas off and online journalism encounter and how this transformation puts the profession at risk.

Quando as Redes Sociais Digitais São Fontes Jornalísticas — Uma Abordagem a Códigos Deontológicos

“…Authors such as Hamada (2018) and Ward (2018) have raised questions about the feasibility of establishing universal values that could guide journalists across different countries or platforms. While ethical foundations are expected to remain consistent regardless of the communication channel, proposals like Whitehouse's (2010) advocacy for updating codes gain relevance.…”

“…Research exploring the relationship between journalism and DSNs has delved into issues such as interaction with the public, engagement with institutional and political sources, and the influence of networks as gatekeepers, agents qualified to select what can be turned into news. Two valid criticisms emerge: an overemphasis on the positive aspects of networks and insufficient attention to their negative implications for the journalism profession (Hamada, 2018;Lewis & Molyneux, 2018). The literature review by Lewis and Molyneux (2018) underscores the scarcity of research focused on the specific issue addressed in this article: the use of DSNs by journalists as sources of information.…”

Do Independent Arab YouTube Broadcasters “Broadcast Themselves”? The Saudi Case Explored

“…According to Bosshart and Schoenhagen [41], media amateurs/citizen journalists are those who either contribute content to mass media by submitting images and posting comments on news media websites, or those who generate content outside of news media websites without any "involvement of professional journalists" (p. 139). Operating a YouTube channel is hardly a profession that has "institutional and ideological traits more or less in common" [42], yet it bears some of the professional characteristics identified by the theory of professionalism attributes, such as having "a specialized technique … and a considerable autonomy to conduct their work" [43]. Accordingly, a hybrid of professional amateurs, or Pro-Ams, has begun to emerge on YouTube.…”

Effects of Social Media on Researchers’ Attitude to Work at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Oyo State, Nigeria

“…For instance, they can download or upload photographs, videos, and electronically transfer information. Social media diminishes the problem of communication with others over long distances and expedites the ability for people to communicate at any time (Amedie, 2015& Hamada, 2018. Some of the most popular platforms in social media are Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, which gives people the ability to easily connect with friends, relatives, and co-workers and interaction between workers and management (Fusi and Zhang, 2018).…”