Exploring the Ethical Implications of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in Journalism

Abstract

This study delves into the ethical implications of AI in journalism, employing a simple random sampling technique to select 400 participants from Ghana’s media landscape, including journalists, media professionals, AI developers and policy-makers. This method ensured equal selection opportunity for all, bolstering the generalizability of the findings. Data were collected through structured questionnaires featuring closed-ended and Likert-scale questions, distributed both in-person and electronically. Responses were analyzed using Excel, with confidentiality safeguarded through unique identifiers. The results revealed that 45% of participants agreed that technology could introduce bias in news reporting, with 36% strongly agreeing. Conversely, 25% strongly disagreed that AI improves journalistic accuracy. In light of these findings, it is recommended that targeted training programmes be developed to equip journalists with the skills to ethically navigate AI use, addressing concerns such as bias, privacy and the responsible use of automated tools.