ASSESSMENT OF CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM AMONG UYO BASED JOURNALIST IN NIGERIA

ASSESSMENT OF CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM AMONG UYO BASED JOURNALIST IN NIGERIA

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Background of the study

Journalists who work professionally in Nigeria are often confronted with complex and nuanced ethical dilemmas that need them to make choices about not just their own ethical behavior but also the behavior of the professional persons they educate. The purpose of this study is to evaluate ethics as a vital component of solid professionalism. Ethics may be defined as the set of guiding principles and values that an individual (or group of individuals) employs to direct the activities they do and the choices they make. Therefore, a code of ethics in an organization is a collection of principles that guide the organization in the formulation of its programs, policies, and choices pertaining to the company's operations. It is possible for an organization's reputation to be impacted by the ethical theory that it employs in the conduct of business.

According to Fab-Ukozor (2011), the evolutionary phase of the struggle towards professional development in journalism practice shows that starting from the time of Iwe Irohin and West African Pilot, to the period of Daily Times, marked an era of non-professional practice. This era spanned from the time of Iwe Irohin and West African Pilot to the time of Daily Times. As a result, the need to refine and strengthen professional practice was the impetus for the establishment of the Times Training School by the Daily Times of Nigeria in the early 1970s. After this, the Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ) was established, and along with the Daily Times of Nigeria Training wing, they tried their utmost to teach journalists fundamental reporting skills. These efforts, which occurred before the establishment of departments of mass communication and journalism in Nigerian tertiary institutions, resulted in the production of a crop of Nigerian journalists in the late 1970s and early 1980s who were able to satisfy the information requirements of the mass media audience in the country.

The mass media are now confronted with the difficulty of breaking even and being financially stable enough to be independent and to resist both internal and external forces, which have historically been the scourge of professionalism in the media. For any media institution to be able to withstand the test of time and preserve the ethics of their profession, it is very necessary for such organization to be financially independent. On the other hand, as an institution that has been entrusted by society with the duty of looking out for the interests of the general public, the news organizations and other forms of mass media work hard to fulfill the obligations of this prestigious position. That is what it is to have social responsibility (Nkwachi, 2015). As a result of this, the media in Nigeria have lately insisted on specific ethical norms and responsibility on the side of the owners as well as the journalists. This entails observing the ethical norms that will contribute to an increased level of professionalism. It also involves adhering to a code of conduct that maintains one's professional integrity and allowing that code to direct one's actions.

There is no shadow of a doubt that the principles of ethical values that are designed to control the activities of journalism towards professionalism are the foundation of a successful and efficient practice of journalism. An organization or a profession is fundamentally led and directed by a set of moral rules that are responsible for monitoring its general behavior. The worrying situation of media practitioners' attitude in the conduct of their activities forced the establishment of several regulating agencies in order to regulate the excesses of media practitioners (Tsegyu & Asemah, 2014). The Nigerian Press Council (NPC) and the National Broadcasting Corporation are the organizations in question here (NBC). Later on, in the year 1998, the Nigeria Press Organization (NPO), which was comprised of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Newspaper Proprietors of Nigeria (NPN), the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), and the Nigeria Press Council (NPC), came up with a more comprehensive code of ethics for journalists. This code was published (Egbon, as cited in Tsegyu & Asemah, 2014).

1. 1. Statement of the Problem

Every profession, including the field of journalism, has a set of guiding standards that define how the profession should be practiced. Therefore, journalists all over the globe are obligated to follow these standards in order to live up to the expectations and fulfill the moral duties that society has placed on their profession. As a result of the fact that the practice of mass media in Nigeria is largely governed by the same ethics, all of the professionals working in mass media in the country are directed by the same code of ethics.

Regrettably, even a superficial investigation reveals that certain journalists in Rivers State who are considered to be professionals seem to operate and practise outside of the boundaries of the code of ethics. As a result, several journalists in the state of Rivers create tales to convey their feelings and engagement in the situation. As a result, the media often publishes profane and harsh language, which is a challenge for this publication. In certain cases, some journalists cause preventable difficulties for their organization on ethical ethics, which might have repercussions for the whole profession.

​​​​​​​Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to assess of code of ethics and professionalism among Uyo based journalist in Nigeria. Specifically, this study seeks to:

1. Identify the ethical codes of conduct in journalism practice?
2. Ascertain whether journalists have adequate knowledge of the code of ethics of journalism practice.
3. Determine whether the knowledge of journalists on the ethical code influences journalism practice.
4. Examine the extent to which journalists adhere to the applicable code of ethics of journalism practice.

Research questions

The following research questions will be answered in this study;

1. What are the ethical codes of conduct in journalism practice?
2. Does journalists have adequate knowledge of the code of ethics of journalism practice?
3. Does the knowledge of journalists on the ethical code influences journalism practice?
4. To what extent do journalists adhere to the applicable code of ethics of journalism practice?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses will validate this study:

H01: Journalists do not have adequate knowledge of the code of ethics of journalism practice.

H02: The knowledge of journalists on the ethical code does not influence journalism practice.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study's primary objective is to evaluate the professionalism and adherence to a code of ethics among journalists working in Uyo, Nigeria.

This research will be of use to the media sector, Because it would refresh the understanding and usage of ethics and professionalism among Uyo-based journalists in Nigeria

This research is important to the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission since it will encourage them to develop in ways that will contribute to the profession's reputation for credibility. Because it will provide new information to the body of previously published research, this study is also important to the academic community.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study is focused on assessing the code of ethics and professionalism among Uyo based journalist in Nigeria. The study will be carried in Akwa Ibom Broadcasting corporation (AKBC).

1.8 Limitations of the Study

This study was constrained by a number of factors which are as follows:

Just like any other research, ranging from unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, inability to get data

Financial constraint , was faced by  the researcher ,in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires

Time factor: time factor pose another constraint since having to shuttle between writing of the research and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the researcher

1.9 Definition of Terms

Journalism: Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation, the methods of gathering information, and the organizing literary styles.

1.10 Organization of the Study

The study is categorized into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research questions and hypothesis, the significance of the study, scope/limitations of the study, and definition of terms. The chapter two covers the  review of literature with emphasis on conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and empirical review. Likewise, the chapter three which is the research methodology, specifically covers the research design, population of the study,  sample size determination,  sample size, abnd selection technique and procedure, research instrument and administration, method of data collection, method of data analysis, validity and reliability of the study, and ethical consideration. The second to last chapter being the chapter four presents the data presentation and analysis, while the last chapter(chapter five) contains the summary, conclusion and recommendation.

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