NJOMACS

This study investigates journalists' perceptions of how new media environmental dynamics influence unethical practices among journalists in Kwara State, Nigeria. The digital transformation of journalism, marked by speed, interactivity, convergence and intensified competition for audience attention, has significantly altered news production processes and professional routines. While these changes have expanded access to information and enhanced audience engagement, they have also generated ethical challenges that threaten core journalistic values such as accuracy, credibility and accountability. Anchored in Media Ecology Theory, which conceptualises media technologies as environments that shape human behaviour and professional norms, the study examines how structural features of the new media environment affect ethical decision-making among journalists. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, using a structured questionnaire to collect data from 140 registered journalists drawn from a population of 223 members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) across broadcast, print and online media organisations in Kwara State. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. The findings reveal that respondents perceive privacy violations and cyberbullying as the most prevalent ethical challenges in online journalism. Commercial pressures associated with the digital media economy, particularly intense competition for advertising and audience visibility, were also seen as contributing to unethical practices such as faking stories and sensational reporting. Furthermore, journalists strongly agreed that the new media environment has aggravated practices including Afghanistanism (avoidance of sensitive local issues), inaccurate reporting, sycophancy, and sensationalism, largely due to the pressures of immediacy, constant content production and reduced editorial gatekeeping. In contrast, traditional unethical practices such as plagiarism, brown-envelope journalism and self-censorship were perceived as less influenced by new media dynamics. Overall, the study concludes that while digital technologies have enhanced the reach and speed of journalism, they have also intensified specific unethical practices by reshaping professional priorities and routines. The findings underscore the need for stronger regulatory frameworks, continuous ethics training, and greater institutional oversight to promote responsible journalism in Nigeria's evolving digital media landscape.