Awareness and Sources of Information of the Code of Ethics Among Journalists in Southwest Nigeria.

In Nigeria, journalism is one of the oldest professions, standing alongside law, medicine, and nursing. Unlike other professions, journalism is guided by a code of ethics, which some journalists often disregard without facing tangible repercussions. Infractions are often a result of several factors, including ignorance, low remuneration, the absence of welfare schemes, and a lack of ownership interest. This study investigated the level of awareness and sources of information with the Nigerian Press Organization code of ethics among journalists in Southwest Nigeria. Anchored on the social responsibility theory of the press, the study examined how broader socioeconomic and structural conditions influence contemporary journalistic practices. The study employed a survey research design, a quantitative survey of 383 practicing journalists across Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo, to capture a comprehensive overview of the regional media landscape. The findings reveal that foundational awareness of the code is remarkably strong among journalists in Southwest Nigeria. However, active upkeep of ethical knowledge remains weak, characterized by low agreement on regularly reading updates to the code. Formal tertiary education emerged as the primary source for ethical instruction, accounting for 72.1 percent of how journalists learned about the code, while post-graduation training avenues played marginal roles. The study recommends that the NUJ and the NPAN collaborate to make available a digital version of the code of ethics document.