Journalists’ Perceptions of Ethical Issues in the Use of Artificial Intelligence for News Reporting
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The increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into journalism is transforming news production while raising ethical concerns relating to accuracy, originality, privacy, plagiarism and professional judgement. This study explores journalists’ perceptions and experiences of ethical issues associated with the use of AI in news reporting in Taraba State, Nigeria. Guided by Rest’s Four-Component Model of Moral Behaviour, the study adopted a qualitative case study design. Nine journalists were purposively selected from media organisations in Taraba State and interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The interview data were analysed through narrative analysis, with attention to participants’ experiences, interpretations and professional responses to AI-assisted journalism. Findings revealed that journalists possessed practical knowledge of AI applications, including ChatGPT, Grammarly, QuillBot and automated transcription tools, although the depth of knowledge varied. Participants identified ethical concerns relating to inaccurate information, plagiarism, originality, privacy, over-reliance on AI and the potential erosion of independent editorial judgement. Their experiences further showed that AI-generated information could appear credible while containing inaccuracies and that the convenience of AI-generated writing could create a temptation to copy content without sufficient modification. Journalists primarily regulated these challenges through fact-checking, editing, rewriting and maintaining human control over final editorial decisions. The study concludes that responsible AI integration requires clearer newsroom guidelines, continuous professional training and sustained human editorial oversight. Further research should examine AI-related ethical practices across media organisations, platforms and regions in Nigeria.
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