13 Aug 2025 Ethical journalism in the age of AI

Hasani Felix

Journalism is a field which entails telling the public what they need to know with accuracy, clarity and simplicity so everyone can understand. The general aim is to provide new and relevant information to an intended audience. Historically, journalists began publishing news utilizing the print medium. However, in the contemporary era information has been shared through more mediums which include radio, broadcast television and social media.

Real journalism requires news to undergo a method of data collection, content organization, editorial assessment and public distribution. The Society of Professional Journalists (2014) states that the codes of ethics governing journalism are seeking the truth and reporting it, minimizing harm with content produced, acting independently with integrity and impartiality as well as being accountable and clear in the choices made in gathering information.

Journalism ethics are standards that safeguard both the public and the reputation of reporters. Nevertheless, applying these ethical considerations is a matter of choice as individuals have the inherent ability of free will. Still, newsroom editors place high levels of trust in reporters hoping that they produce original and factual stories. Presently, in the age of Artificial Intelligence, information is easier to access and there are more avenues to fall into the snares of plagiarism as well as inaccuracy. Yet these issues existed before Artificial Intelligence, which suggests the issue resides with the ethical standards of media practitioners. Maintaining ethical standards in the journalism industry has become increasingly difficult but it can be done by emphasising individual ethical responsibility, promoting the codes of ethics in journalism and employing Artificial Intelligence checkers within the media space.

Of central concern is the necessity to reinforce the importance of individual ethical responsibility. The philosophy of deontological ethics supports this notion in the context of the communication industry. Proponents of deontological ethics believe that adhering to the ethical rules and upholding one’s duty is obligatory and should be independent of the potential consequences. Gordon (2011) mentions Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative which suggests that moral rules should be treated as universal laws. This implies that media professionals in the field of journalism have a moral duty to act ethically, to not plagiarize the work of others and to stick to the code of practices for professional journalists.

This ideology suggests that journalists should do the right thing despite the increased difficulty for editors and lawmakers to pinpoint infringements. Reinforcing the importance of individual ethical responsibility in journalists whose thought process aligns with Kant’s categorical imperative and by deontological ethics is a realistic measure in maintaining ethical standards. Gordon (2011) states that this ideology appeals to many media professionals as they align themselves with the view of telling the truth, being consistent and not worrying about the consequences. Therefore, reminding these journalists about the ethical principles and practices of journalism is a realistic safeguard to protect the integrity of this profession regardless of the difficulties posed by Artificial Intelligence.

Furthermore, there is evidence to support the existence of journalists who are morally upright despite the potential consequences. Committee to Protect Journalists (2025) comments on the death of Dumesky Kersaint, a journalist who was killed while reporting on the murder of a man in Haiti in 2023. The organization also highlights that a witness told Fabien Iliophène, the founder of the radio station where Kersaint worked, that Kersaint was killed after refusing to delete photographic evidence of a crime scene he was reporting on. This suggests that Kersaint understood the importance of his work as a journalist and was willing to live for it as much as he died for it. Kersaint’s commitment to expose corruption in Haiti can be seen as an example of deontological ethics. The chronology of Kersaint’s actions suggests that he valued his moral duty to uncover the truth and hold the murderers accountable for their actions.

Additionally, it suggests that he acted regardless of the consequence of losing his life, which aligns with the principles of deontology. Specifically, Kersaint’s actions are in harmony with Kant’s theory of ethics and the codes of ethics governing journalism as he exhibited plans of seeking the truth and reporting it to the public. Ultimately, Kersaint’s resolve during the age of Artificial Intelligence suggests that it is realistic to maintain the ethical standards of journalism in this era.

Virtue ethics

Another ethical theory which supports the perspective of emphasising individual ethical responsibility is virtue ethics. Tilak (2020) suggests that virtue ethics is in harmony with important principles and practices of journalism such as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, truth and self-restraint. Professional journalists who align with the moral standards of virtue ethics are not influenced by consequences such as fear of detection nor is their integrity bound to duty and the rules against unethical conduct. Rather they perceive morally right decisions as intrinsic.

Journalists who subscribe to the tenets of virtue ethics maintain the responsibility to use Artificial Intelligence ethically regardless of the lack of rules governing its usage in the newsroom. Furthermore, proponents of virtue ethics who subscribe to the concept of Aristotle’s Golden Mean – which describes a character state that emphasises making moderate choices – find a balanced approach between two extremes (Gordon, 2011). While some believe that Artificial Intelligence should not be used in journalism and others exploit its capabilities, virtue ethicists upholding Aristotle’s Golden Mean would aim to thoroughly investigate and verify facts they obtain from Artificial Intelligence and review the information generated from it to report truthfully and accurately.

Another issue of great importance is the need to promote the codes of ethics in journalism from a pragmatic perspective, especially in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Pragmatism focuses on implementing practical approaches that will allow journalism to be more functional, ethical and sustainable despite the current challenges presented by technological advancements.

There are cases where Artificial Intelligence has been exploited and potentially has negative repercussions. Ortiz (2024) states that a Wyoming reporter used fake quotes in his news story that were created by Artificial Intelligence, and he failed to interview the people he quoted. This led to the editor having to apologise for not detecting this error and affected the reputation of the media house. Furthermore, this infringes on the codes and ethics of journalism as a profession.

However, the issues of plagiarism and drifting away from the ethical codes of conduct started before Artificial Intelligence’s introduction to the newsroom. Kurtz (1996) mentions former journalist Janet Cooke who won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for a news story about an 8-year-old heroin addict which was eventually proven fake. This bogus story was not written with Artificial Intelligence, but it still lacks integrity, fails to tell the truth and causes harm to the public.

Additionally, through the lens of pragmatism it can be suggested that a practical measure to combat unethical conduct and plagiarism is to allow the use of Artificial Intelligence while implementing rules which align with the codes of ethical journalism. Aftonbladet and VG, which are two news outlets owned by the news corporation Schibsted, have similar codes and guidelines as they state that all published materials should be reviewed by humans and all generative AI content must be manually approved before being disseminated to the public respectively (Cools, 2023). These are some practical steps to ensure that Artificial Intelligence is not abused but rather ethically included. Cools (2023) also states that both Aftonbladet and VG mention that when they use AI-generated material, the content is to be labelled clearly so that everyone receiving the information understands that Artificial Intelligence was included.

This aligns with the pragmatic ideology of implementing practical steps and focuses on the journalistic ethical aspect of transparency. (Kodilinye, 2009) states that media houses should prioritize being transparent and ensure that they implement rigorous fact-checking. These instructions are applicable when utilizing pragmatic thinking to combat the imperfections exhibited in gatekeeping. In essence, Artificial Intelligence can be utilized in journalism, but it must be done ethically, transparently and with clear guidelines governing its incorporation.

Another integral necessity in maintaining the ethical integrity of journalism is implementing software in media houses that are capable of tracking and detecting the usage of Artificial Intelligence.

From a utilitarianism perspective – which states that an action is morally correct if it maximizes happiness for most people while minimizing harmful outcomes – implementing AI trackers can help prevent plagiarism and uphold ethical reporting by maximizing the public trust and accuracy. Utilitarianism justifies using AI tools to detect and prevent violations of accuracy and credibility of news as this overall benefit to society exceeds any inconvenience placed on reporters. Tilak (2020) emphasizes the importance of avoiding plagiarism and maintaining the integrity of work.

Safeguarding reputations

Artificial Intelligence tools can effectively scan large amounts of text and identify similarities to uphold ethical standards. These tools can act as a safeguard which protects media houses reputation and their authentically produced content. Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence could be trained to identify reporting practices that are violations as mentioned by Tilak (2020) such as being biased, stereotyping or invading privacy.

This creates the opportunity to bolster the ethical nature of journalism and is of considerable benefit to the public as Artificial Intelligence acts as a watchdog who ensures reporting is done with fairness, responsibility and integrity. Drozdowski (2023) highlights Turnitin’s new Artificial Intelligence detector stated to have 98% accuracy in spotting AI generated content. He also mentions that Turnitin was able to pinpoint the difference in three essays he submitted: one without any AI, another fully written by AI and also one partially written by AI, with substantial accuracy. This suggests that it is feasible for similar detectors to be used in the field of journalism to detect plagiarized articles and pinpoint which sections of the article are not written by a human.

In totality, maintaining ethical standards in journalism amid the rise of Artificial Intelligence is important and requires a multilayered approach. By reinforcing individual ethical responsibility through deontological ethics, journalists can adhere to moral principle despite the potential consequence. The case of reporter Dumesky Kersaint exemplifies how professional integrity can withstand external pressures in the face of personal risks. Furthermore, promoting journalistic codes and ethics by utilizing pragmatic solutions ensures that Artificial Intelligence is used at a toll for enhancing the field of journalism rather than deception of the public.

Newsrooms need to create clear guidelines as portrayed by media houses owned by Schibsted where human oversight and transparency are necessary factors when utilizing AI-generated content. Moreover, including AI tracking software aligns with utilitarianism by minimizing misinformation and maximizing societal trust. Turnitin’s AI detection technology is an example that using such systems can maintain authenticity in journalism. Virtue ethics encourages journalists to find a balance between AI usage and ethical reporting. Ultimately, ethical journalism is a goal that requires constant vigilance, accountability and unwavering commitment to accuracy. All things considered; these measures can uphold the ethical standards within the media room despite the growing challenge faced by Artificial Intelligence.

References

Committee to Protect Journalists. “Dumesky Kersaint – Committee to Protect Journalists.” Committee to Protect Journalists, 3 Mar. 2025, cpj.org/data/people/dumesky-kersaint/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.Ethical journalism in the age of AI

Cools, Hannes , and Nicholas Diakopoulos. “Writing Guidelines for the Role of AI in Your Newsroom? Here Are Some, Er, Guidelines for That.” Nieman Lab, 11 July 2023, www.niemanlab.org/2023/07/writing-guidelines-for-the-role-of-ai-in-your-newsroom-here-are-some-er-guidelines-for-that/.

Drozdowski, M. J. (2023, April 26). Testing Turnitin’s New AI Detector: How Accurate Is It? | BestColleges (D. Earnest, Ed.). Www.bestcolleges.com. https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/analysis/testing-turnitin-new-ai-detector/

Gordon, David, and John S Armstrong. Controversies in Media Ethics. Third ed., New York, Routledge, 2011.

Kodilinye, G. (2009). Commonwealth Caribbean Tort Law. In Routledge eBooks. Informa. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203874233

Kurtz, Howard. “JANET COOKE’S UNTOLD STORY.” Washington Post, 9 May 1996, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1996/05/09/janet-cookes-untold-story/23151d68-3abd-449a-a053-d72793939d85/.

Ortiz, Aimee. “Wyoming Reporter Resigns after Using A.I. To Fabricate Quotes.” The New York Times, 14 Aug. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/08/14/business/media/wyoming-cody-enterprise-ai.html.

Society of Professional Journalists. (2014, September 6). SPJ Code of Ethics. Society of Professional Journalists; Society of Professional Journalists. https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

Tilak, Dr. Geetali. “The Study and Importance of Media Ethics.” Research Gate, 2020, www.researchgate.net/publication/349685937.

Hasani Felix is a Trinidadian reading for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism at The University of the West Indies, Jamaica.