AN EXAMINATION OF ETHICAL ISSUES CONFRONTING OPERATIONS OF SELECTED HYBRID MEDIA ORGANISATIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE IN NAMIBIA
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Date
2021-12
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NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Abstract
This qualitative study examined ethical issues confronting operations of selected hybrid
media organisations in the digital age in Namibia. It specifically used the cases of Namibia
Media Holdings and The Namibia, which are the biggest hybrid media organisations in
Namibia in terms of readership and circulation thus far. The overall research question was:
what contextual factors have shaped ethical dilemmas experienced by full-time journalists
and news editors working for the Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) and The Namibian? It
located itself with the interpretivism philosophical underpinning, in which a case study
research design was used to as it provides room for observing multiple actors within specific
contextual parameters. A total of sixteen (16) full-time employed journalists and five (5) news
editors were selected using purposive sampling technique. Qualitative data were collected
through the administration of focus group discussions and interviews. Thematic analysis was
used to analyse data, in which emerging themes were categorised, labelled and interpreted
in response to each research question. Key findings indicate that a number of contextual
factors responsible for shaping ethical dilemmas encountered by professional journalists
working for selected hybrid media organisations in the digital age in Namibia. These include:
the ever-changing technological landscape; the immediacy of internet; media sustainability;
the integration of social media platforms in the news work; the absence of specific ethical
framework for hybrid media organisations; conflicts of interest; and the notion of public
interest. It came out clear that traditional media ethics such as accuracy, truthfulness and
impartiality are still relevant to inform operations of hybrid newsrooms and are also
cornerstones without, which there is no professional journalism. In order to inform the
operations of hybrid media organisations in the digital age in Namibia, the following media
accountability ethical frameworks and policies were cited: revision of the Code of Ethics for
the Namibian Print, Broadcast and Online Media; strengthening of digital fact-checking
mechanisms; and additional journalistic training.
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Keywords
hybrid media organisations, media ethics, ethical dilemmas, digital age, contextual factors, journalists, news editors
Citation
ZVIYITA, I. (2021). An examination of ethical issues confronting operations of selected hybrid media organisations in the digital age in Namibia [Master’s thesis, Namibia University of Science and Technology].