The moral implications of journalism, propaganda, and The dissemination of information SADI International Journal of Social Sciences andHumanities
Main Article Content
Abstract
This paper examines the moral implications of journalism, propaganda, and the dissemination of information and explores the moral consequences that arise when the lines between truthful reporting and manipulation are blurred. Drawing on philosophical perspectives, including utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics, this research analyzes journalists’ and media organizations’ responsibilities in promoting truthfulness, accountability, and transparency globally, especially in Africa. The work argues that the dissemination of propaganda and biased or misleading information can have dire consequences, including the erosion of democracy, public manipulation and social division. Ultimately, this research underscores the importance of ethical journalism in maintaining a well-informed society and promoting democratic values.
Downloads
Article Details
Issue
Section

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Allcott, H., & Gentzkow, M. (2017). Social media and fake news in the 2016 election. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 31(2), 211–236. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.31.2.211
Amana, D., & Oyibo, I. (2014). Ethical implications of information dissemination on the new media. New Media and Mass Communication, 32. https://www.iiste.org/journals/index.phy
Arendt, H. (1951). The origins of totalitarianism. Harcourt.
Aristotle. (2009). Nicomachean ethics (D. Ross, Trans.). Oxford University Press.
BBC. (2021). Editorial guidelines. https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines Christians, C. G. (2007). Utilitarianism in media ethics and it disconnects. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 22(2/3), 113–131.
Christians, C. G., Rotzoll, K., & Fackler, M. (n.d.). Media ethics: Cases for moral reasoning. Longman Press.
Davies, N. (2014). Hack attack: How the truth caught up with Rupert Murdoch. Faber and Faber.
Ellul, J. (1973). Propaganda: The formation of men's attitudes. Vintage.
Ethical Journalism Network. (2015). Five core principles of journalism. https://ethicaljournalismnetwork.org/who-we-are/5-principles-of-journalism
Falade, O. A. (2017). Combating misinformation in Nigeria’s political discourse. The International Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 5(5), 4–10.
Farhi, P. (2021). Washington Post corrects Trump call story.
The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com
Foucault, M. (1975). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison (A. Sheridan, Trans.). Pantheon.
Gibson, R. (2022). Pandemic communication: Lessons from COVID-19. Oxford University Press.
Habermas, J. (1984). The theory of communicative action (Vol. 1). Beacon Press.
Jowett, G. S., & O'Donnell, V. (2014). Propaganda & persuasion (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Kant, I. (1785). Groundwork for the metaphysics of morals (M. Gregor, Trans.). Cambridge University Press.
Kovach, B., & Rosenstiel, T. (2014). The elements of journalism: What newspeople should know and the public should expect (3rd ed.). Three Rivers Press.
Kumar, D. (2012). Islamophobia and the politics of empire. Haymarket Books.
Machesney, R. (2013). Digital disconnect: How capitalism is turning the internet against democracy. New Press.
Marlin, R. (2013). Propaganda and the ethics of persuasion (2nd ed.). Broadview Press.
Mill, J. S. (2001). Utilitarianism. Hackett Publishing.
Mihailidis, P. (2014). Media literacy and the emerging citizen. Peter Lang.
New York Times. (2017). Ethics handbook. https://www.nytimes.com/ethics-handbook
Nietzsche, F. (1999). Truth and lies in a nonmoral sense (D. Breazeale, Trans.). Cambridge University Press.
Odunlade, R. O., Ojo, J., & Oche, N. (2021). Effects of fake news and propaganda on management of information on COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology. https://journals.sfu.ca/ijkcdt/index.php/ijkcdt/article/download/549/21/4509
Onigbinde, C. O., & Oloyede, I. (2024). Misinformation and disinformation in the Nigeria media landscape.
IMSU Journal of Communication Studies, 8(1), 93–100. https://soar.info/ssoar/bitstream/handle/document/95810/ssoar-imsujcomms-2024+1-onigbinde-et-al-misinformation-and-disinformation-in-the.pdf
Oreskes, N., & Conway, E. (2010). Merchants of doubt. Bloomsbury. Plato. (1992). The Republic (G. M. A. Grube, Trans.). Hackett.
Pomerantsev, P. (2015). Nothing is true and everything is possible: The surreal heart of the new Russia. Public
Affairs.
Popper, K. (1945). The open society and its enemies. Routledge.
Rawls, J. (1971). A theory of justice. Harvard University Press.
Rid, T. (2020). Active measures: The secret history of disinformation and political warfare. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Schudson, M. (2003). The sociology of news (2nd ed.). W.W. Norton.
Shannon, C. E., & Weaver, W. (1949). The mathematical theory of communication. University of Illinois Press.
Society of Professional Journalists. (2014). SPJ code of ethics. https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
Stanley, J. (2015). How propaganda works. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/20.5281/zenodo.11551723
Sunstein, C. R. (2017). Republic: Divided democracy in the age of social media. Princeton University Press.
Udofia, C. A., & Inameti, U. (2018). Utilitarianism and deontologism as moral cynosures for leadership: An examination. International Journal of Integrative Humanism, 10(1), 56–61.
Udoh, M., & Inameti, U. (2022). Covid-19: A critical analysis of multi-causative factors and mitigation. AAN Journal of Law, Arts and Humanities, 1(1), 21–37.
United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
Udo, I. L., & Essiet, S. (2024). The necessity of virtue in the search for the ultimate goal of human life: Aristotle in dialogue with the contemporary world. AKSU Journal of Administration and Corporate Governance, 4(2), 54–65.
Ward, S. J. A. (2011). Ethics and the media: An introduction. Cambridge University Press.