Nigerian Journalism Ethics and the Challenges of Journalists in a Digital Society

The intersection of journalism, politics, and technology in Nigeria presents profound ethical dilemmas. As digital platforms redefine news production and dissemination, journalists face increasing pressures from political corruption, ownership influence and audience-driven immediacy. Although Nigeria has established professional codes of conduct, their enforcement is undermined by fragile democratic structures, commercialisation of news, and the unregulated rise of digital media. Existing studies largely explore ethics in isolation but offer limited insights into how digital affordances reshape journalistic practice. This study addresses thw gap by examining the sustainability of journalistic integrity in a digitally-mediated Nigerian society. Guided by deontological ethics and social responsibility theory, the research investigated ethical adherence among journalists in Lagos-based media houses, including Lagos Television (LTV), Arise TV and The Guardian. A quantitative survey design was adopted. The population was adopted as sample of 146 respondents was drawn from a population of 168 journalists through proportional and convenience sampling. Data were gathered with a validated questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings showed that journalists in Nigeria remain largely committed to professional ethics (x̅ = 3.96, SD = 0.89). Respondents, however, expressed limited agreement that digital media significantly affect ethical practice (x̅ = 3.38), while political interference emerged as a major vulnerability (x̅ = 1.73). At the organisational level, media institutions play a positive role in safeguarding ethics (x̅ = 3.66), though ownership influence and training gaps persist. The study recommended continuous training, reduced reliance on social media, and stronger institutional safeguards. Keywords: Journalistic Integrity, Digital Media, Political Corruption, Misinformation, Partisan Journalism, Media Ethics