Digital Media, Citizen Journalism, Ethics and Self-Censorship

This article looks at the impact of digital media on citizen journalism, ethics of journalism and self-censorship. There is no doubt that citizens have played a greater role in the advancement of the journalism profession, through on the spot collection and dissemination of news worthy events and pictures. This was made possible with the help of digital technology. Since these citizen journalists lack training in the profession, it seems that the core ethics of journalism have not been adhered to, in the course of their practice and the task of censorship remains daunting. Given the contributions of these invaders to the advancement of the work associated with journalism, citizens should be more involved, through a collaborative effort by media houses, who should encourage the citizenry, through training and the publication of their stories in their medium. This article assesses the effect of digital technology on citizen journalism, and made suggestions and contributions that encourage citizen journalism, stressed the importance of adherence to ethical codes and self-censorship, to establish a robust and sustainable relationship between the media and its publics.