Assessment of media ownership and the burden of objectivity in news reporting among journalists in imo state, Nigeria
Keywords:
Journalists, Media Ownership, Objectivity, and ReportingAbstract
Aim: Ownership of the media frequently affects how well they function as the "fourth estate of the realm." Reporters covering anything from everyday happenings to major events are typically required to exhibit a genuine sense of objectivity in their reporting, regardless of the ownership pattern of the media. This study evaluated Nigerian Imo State journalists' ownership of the media and their obligation to report news objectively.
Method: The research design used in the study was survey. The tool used to obtain the data was a questionnaire. The population and sample size for the study consisted of 197 Imo State-based registered and active journalists.
Results: The findings showed that Imo State journalists have a very high level of knowledge on the ethical principle of objectivity in news reporting, with mean score of 3.6±0.55 (maximum was 4). Journalists in Imo State adhere to the ethical precept of objectivity in news reporting to a low degree, with a mean of 2.4±0.99. The results also indicated that media owners usually have negative influence on journalists' practices regarding objectivity especially when it has to do with their interest.
Conclusion: There is high level of knowledge by the journalists on the ethical principle of objectivity in news reporting. Despite this knowledge their level of compliance to the ethical code is low. Also, media ownership has a way of influencing journalism practice regarding objectivity in news reporting.
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