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CHAPTER 1

The Problem and Its Scope

Introduction

Journalism touches almost everyone’s life and because it benefit substantially by

reporting events ethical conducts in journalism deserves at least as much attention as

the standards and ethical conduct of lawyers, doctors or business professionals (Azman

et al., 2013). Media are social institutions that expect to make a moral contribution to

the society; therefore, there is need for the rules that will guide the journalism practice

(Nasidi, 2016). Honesty, precision, neutrality, fairness, even-handedness and public

accountability characterize newsworthy information for dissemination to the public

(Daganato J. et al., 2016).

Tuazon (2015 as cited in Daganato J. et al 2016), the press is known to be the freest

and liveliest in Asia. The libertarian and free enterprise principles institutionalized by the

American colonizers, the Philippine press essentially played a watchdog function and

has often taken an adversarial stance against government.

The Philippine Journalist Code of Ethics is developed to guide journalists through their

day to day encounter with ethical problem in the society. At one of in the history of

media the case of Jason Blaire happened in one of the biggest news organization in the

world, Jason Blaire was with The New York Times who wrote stories that mislead

readers in fabricating comments, concocted scenes, and lifted materials from other

newspapers and other wire services. Jason blaire’s case is perhaphs one of the reasons
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and other ethical issues in the world are why there is a high distrust in media, in fact

people trust less journalists than other profession. Three years later in the Philippines,

veteran ABS-CBN broadcaster Doris Bigornia reported a tsunami scare in Nasugbu,

Batangas and its nearby towns for TV Patrol World on March 14, 2006. TV Patrol World

is the television giant’s flagship newscast aired on primetime and watched by thousands

across the Philippines. When her report was questioned later, Bigornia said it

purportedly came from ABS-CBN’s rival network, GMA-7, and the latter’s news anchor,

Arnold Clavio, something that Clavio denied, insisting that his network was not behind

Bigornia’s report. Bigornia was found to have violated ABS-CBN’s Standards and Ethical

Manual for employees and was suspended from work. It is important to conduct a study

if media practitioners in Dumaguete City are still aware on the code of ethics.

The Philippine Journalist’s Code of Ethics was created in 1988 approved together with

the Philippine Press Institute, National Union of Journalist’s in the Philippines and the

National Press Club to be the guiding rules of journalists consist of reporters, editors

and members of editorial board and new members of the profession as well as veteran

reporters. The 31-year-old Code of Ethics has been the code used by many

organizations across mediums. It has eleven items that encapsulate journalistic

principles and values such as accuracy, fairness, balance, independence and humanity.

The code of ethics addresses issues concerning conflicts of interest and those that arise

when writing the story.

The City of Dumaguete is progressing so do the local media industry, which is

composed mostly of organizations that have long been in operations such as DYEM FM
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(Bai Radio), DYGB (Power91 FM), DYYD (Yes The Best FM), DYMD (Emery FM), DYWC

(Radyo Bandilyo AM), The Negros Chronicle, Metro Post, and The Visayan Daily Star

and some new radio stations like DWFH (Radyo Bandera Sweet FM), and DYKZ (Brigada

News FM). It is expected that these organizations must uphold long standing standards

and of journalism practice.

These media organizations are members of the Dumaguete Press Club, which helps

uphold professionalism in the practice of journalism. The stories they cover typically

focuses on neighbourhood and in smaller contexts, rather than metropolitan, national or

world news. Because everyone in the community practically knows everyone else, the

mediamen function in a more attached, rather than detached manner. This study wants

to determine if media practitioners in Dumaguete City are aware and adopting the PPI

Journalist’s Code of Ethics in order for them live up to their morals conduct in an ethical

manner, and the extent by which they follow the standards set therein in their day-to-

day work, beyond their age, gender, educational background monthly salary and length

of service. In addition this measures if they rightfully practice media ethics in their

work. Lastly, the result of the study will be a big help to the Dumaguete Press Club in

strengthening the codes of ethics by amending some parts.

Statement of the Problem

1. What is profile of the mass media practitioners in Dumaguete City in terms of:

1.1 Age;

1.2 Sex;
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1.3 Type of Work;

1.4 Educational Background;

1.5 Length of Work Experience;

1.6 Monthly Income;

1.7 Training Attended?

2. What is the mass media practitioner’s level of awareness in journalism ethics?

3. What is the extent of journalism practices among mass media practitioner’s in

Dumaguete City?

4. Is there a relationship between the respondents’ level of awareness and their

practices?

5. Is there a relationship between the respondents’ level of awareness and

practices when group according to:

5.1 Age;

5.2 Sex;

5.3 Educational Background;

5.4 Work Experience;

5.5 Nature of Work;

5.6 Current Job Position

5.7 Seminar/Training Attended?

Significance of the Study

This study is important because the result serves as benchmark to the following groups.

The Dumaguete Press Club. The outcome of the study will help establish a
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localized Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards that media practitioners in Dumaguete

can adopt.

The Researcher. The present study would be his humble contribution to

provide relevant information on Journalism Ethics and Values.

The Educational Institution. The result of the study would be a great avenue

to the academe to develop a better understanding on Journalism Ethics and Practices.

The Audience. The result of the study will be a great evidence on the level of

awareness and extent of practices of media practitioners as they watch or listen to

them.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The focus of this study is to evaluate problems and issues pertaining to its level of

awareness and extent of practices among local media practitioners in Dumaguete City.

The respondents of the study are the local media practitioners in Dumaguete City. It

aims to find out the socio-economic profile of the respondent’s in terms of: Age;

Gender; Occupation; Educational Background; Length of Work Experience; and Monthly

Income. This also determines the level of awareness and extent of practices in terms of

their educational background and length of work experience.

The respondents of the study will focus on thirty journalists in both print and broadcast

practice within ten news organizations in Dumaguete City. The study started on April

2020 to July 2020. On the other hand due to the busy schedule of the respondents

some survey questionnaire might not be able to return to the researcher.

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Finally, the result of the study would serve as a benchmark on the journalistic values of

the media practitioners.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are technically and operationally defined to provide better

understanding on the area under study.

Media Practitioner- A person who is engaged in the writing, editing and

transmitting of news and information to the public.

Mass Media- Mass Media refers to communication devices, which can be used

to communicate and interact with a large number of audiences in different languages.

Media Practice- Enhancing conflict-sensitive reporting as far as balancing

different sides of a story.

Ethics- Is the analysis, evaluation and promotion of what constitutes correct

conduct and virtuous character in light of the best available principles.

Theoretical Framework of the Study

The factors which impact on media practitioners work are individual characteristics of

specific news workers, their routines of work, organizational-level concerns, institutional

issues, and larger social systems (Shoemaker & Reese, 2014 as cited in Rupar 2017).

This study is anchored to the Free Press (Libertarian) Theory and Social Responsibility

Theory of the Press designed formally by Siebert, Peterson and Schramm in 1956 in
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their book.

Like other theories of the status and function of the mass media of communication in

society, the libertarian doctrine is a development of the philosophical principles which

provide the basis for the social and political structure within which the media operate.

Liberalism, as a social and political system, has a set framework for the institutions

which function within its orbit, and the press, like other institutions, is conditioned by

the principles underlying the society of which it is a part (Siebert, 1984).

The Libertarian theory is one of the “Normative theories of the press”. The theory which

is originally came from the libertarian thoughts in the 16th century in Europe. The

libertarian theorists are against the authoritarian thoughts. The underlying principle of

the libertarian theory of the press is that the press should be free to perform its

functions but in the authoritarian theory, the press was under governments’ licensing,

and censorship (Siebert et al, 1963 as cited in Okafor 2010).

The libertarian theory came in when democracy arrived (i.e. when people had the right

to vote), this theory is adopted in England after 1688 and in U.S and it is influential

elsewhere in the world. In journalistic practice there are core ethics and they as follows:

Truth and Accuracy, Independence, Fairness and impartiality, Humanity and

Accountability (Okafor 2010).

Social responsibility is ethics that guide any action, be it in media or other organizations

that put an obligation towards environment, society, culture and economy.

“Freedom of expression under the social responsibility theory is not an absolute right,

as under pure libertarian theory. One’s right to free expression must be balanced
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against the private rights of others and against vital society interest.”

– Siebert, Peterson, and Schramm (1956)

It encourages total freedom to press and no censorship, but it should be regulated

according to social responsibilities and external controls. Content is also filtered through

public obligation and interference. The audience interpreted it the way they wanted to.

This caused problems as interpretation was not based on reality and it affected the

social order. Interpretative reporting and investigative reporting started to uncover the

reality behind every case (Bajracharya, 2018).

The last two decades have witnessed a rapid transformation of traditional media into

new media that encompasses digital, computerized, and networked information and

communication technologies (Eid & Ward, 2009).

The theory postulates that, the press is attached with freedom but must act responsible

in carrying out fundamental functions of mass communication (Apuke, 2017). McQuail

(2005:172 as cited in Apuke 2017), encapsulates the basic tenets of the theory as

follows: (i) the media have obligations to society, and media ownership is a public trust.

(ii) News from the media should be free but self-regulated. (iii) The media should

adhere to certain stipulated codes/ethics in order to guide its practices (iv) and in some

circumstances, government could intervene to defend the public interest. Juxtaposing

this study with the theory, a journalist is expected to shield himself away from junk

journalism, Afghanistanism, and character assassination as this could disrupt his sense

of social responsibility which calls for objectivity, fairness and adherence to codes of

ethics guiding his practices.

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Social Responsibility Theory of the Press is a modified version of free press theory

placing greater emphasis upon the accountability of the media to society. Media are

free but they should accept obligations to serve the public good. The means of insuring

compliance with these obligations can either be through professional self-regulation or

public intervention (or both) (Daganato et al, 2016). Freedom is essential to authentic

journalism, to creative press system and to expand vigorous and self-assured

journalists. Journalistic autonomy is imperative for those who want to participate in

journalism on human level, and when the philosophy and psychology of adjustment

begin to make inroads in nations today, the concept of press freedom is changed to

journalistic social-determinism or press responsibility (Merrill, 2012 as cited in Daganato

et al, 2016).

Social responsibility theory was born as a result of problems created by its predecessor,

the libertarian theory of the press. This was in the twentieth century. The libertarian

theory of the press as the theory that held sway at the time, gave journalists excessive

freedom to publish whatever they like. At the time, political authority rests with the

individual (Uzuegbunam, 2013).

The underlying principle of the social responsibility theory of the press is that the press

should be free to perform the functions which the libertarian theory granted it freedom

to perform, but that this freedom should be exercised with responsibility (Okunna &

Omenugha, 2012 as cited in Talikoti, 2018).

Social Responsibility theory of media ethics has become the norm now. This theory

inspires self-control by the media, for the good of the society. But the question is: how
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have the media practitioners and journalists held up this theory? How ethical have they

proven to be, professionally? Social responsibility and media ethics, revealed that today,

a century later, the media is seen to be reverting back to the ‘bad old days’ of practicing

freedom devoid of responsibility. The in-thing is now what scholars have come to term

“market-driven media” (Yadav, 2011, Kleemans& Hendricks, 2009, Omenugha& Oji,

2008, Sparks and Tulloch, 2000 as cited in Talikoti, 2018).

Libertarian Theory Social Responsibility

Theory

Journalism Ethics

Journalism
Practices

Figure 1. Theoretical Framework of the

study

Conceptual Framework of the Study

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The objective of this study is to demine the level of the level of awareness and practices

on the Journalist Code of Ethics set by PPI to the media practitioners in Dumaguete

City, Philippines. It is said that media practitioner’s job is to educate society about

events and issues that affects their lives. For this to be effective a media practitioner

should be acute and fair, to hold in a responsibility for the society.

The schematic diagram on the succeeding page demonstrates that the respondent’s

demographic profile and their knowledge to the Philippine Code of Ethics has

relationship to their level of awareness and extent of practices. First, it evaluates the

demographic profile of the local media practitioners in Dumaguete City in terms of Age;

Educational Attainment, Gender, length of work, and Monthly Income. Second, it asses

the level of knowledge and extent of practices on the Journalist Code of Ethics. Third, it

summarizes the significant relationship between the respondent’s levels of awareness in

journalism ethics and the extent of practices.

In its concluding part, the result recommends measures to assure that media

practitioners in Dumaguete City will follow the prescribed Journalist Code of Ethics as its

guiding principles in writing and reporting news stories.

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Demographic
Profile
Age
Gender
Level of Awareness on Extent of Practices on
Occupation
Educational Background the Journalist Code of the Journalist Code of
Length of Work Experience Ethics Ethics
Monthly Income

Figure 2. Conceptual Framework of the Study

Related Literature and Studies

This literature review is an important aspect of the research study in the area of

journalism ethics that shows relevance and significance. It becomes a link between the

current study and the studies that have already been done. It tells the reader about the

aspects that have been already established or concluded by other authors, and have

also given a chance to the reader to appreciate the evidence that has already been

collected by previous research, and thus projects the current research work in the

proper perspective. Several studies have already been undertaken concerning media

ethics, however, this particular study deals specifically on one segment of the

Journalism Ethics among media practitioners in Dumaguete City.

News workers—writers, editors, videographers, bloggers, photographers, designers—

regularly confront questions of potential harms and conflicting values in the course of

their work, and the field of journalism ethics concerns itself with standards of behaviour

and the quality of justifications used to defend controversial journalistic decisions

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(Plaisance, 2016).

Philippine Press Institute (2017) Professionalism is the key to upgrading and enforcing

ethical standards in the media. In the Newsroom, on the beat, in the boardrooms, and

wherever it is journalists meet with their sources and make editorial decisions, the Code

should serve all member newspapers of the PPI as a reference of conduct and decisions

of the individual journalist and newspaper. At the least, this Code seeks to clarify; at

best, it offers a road map for where the journalist and the newspaper should go,

abiding by professional and ethical standards, according to widely held traditions and

practices of the free press in the Philippines and overseas. Stressed that Ethics, and

how individual journalists conduct themselves, are, first and last, the individual’s call.

But it takes a community of journalists and newspapers living it out together to make

this Code the genuine, positive, powerful norm and standard it should be for the

industry.

PPI Journalist Code of Ethics:

1. I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress

essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I

recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive

errors promptly.

2. I shall not violate confidential information on material given me in the

exercise of my calling.

3. I shall resort only to fair and honest methods in my effort to obtain news,
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photographs and/or documents, and shall properly identify myself as a

representative of the press when obtaining any personal interview intended

for publication.

4. I shall refrain from writing reports which will adversely affect a private

reputation unless the public interests justifies it. At the same time, I shall

write vigorously for public access to information, as provided for in the

constitution.

5. I shall not let personal motives or interests influence me in the performance

of my duties; nor shall I accept or offer any present, gift or other

consideration of a nature which may cast doubt on my professional integrity.

6. I shall not commit any act of plagiarism.

7. I shall not in any manner ridicule, cast aspersions on or degrade any person

by reason of sex, creed, religious belief, political conviction, cultural and

ethnic origin.

8. I shall presume persons accused of crime of being innocent until proven

otherwise. I shall exercise caution in publishing names of minors, and women

involved in criminal cases so that they may not unjustly lose their standing in

society.

9. I shall not take unfair advantage of a fellow journalist.

10.I shall accept only such tasks as are compatible with the integrity and dignity

of my profession, invoking the "conscience clause" when duties imposed on

me conflict with the voice of my conscience.

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11.I shall comport myself in public or while performing my duties as journalist in

such manner as to maintain the dignity of my profession. When in doubt,

decency should be my watchword.

I the study of Tandoc, Jr. (2016) journalists in the Philippines demonstrated some

contradiction in terms of ethical relativism and absolutism. The result reflects that

journalists totally agreed that everyone should always adhere to the codes of

professional ethics with 96% of 346 respondents, regardless of situation and context.

However, 62.3% of 345 journalists disagreed with the view that ethical decisions

depend on specific situations, and less than half or 49.1% of 344 journalists agreed that

ethical journalism is a matter of personal judgement and that sometimes it is acceptable

to set aside moral standards of extraordinary circumstances require it.

Ward (2008) explained that ethics is the analysis, evaluation and promotion of what

constitutes correct conduct and virtuous character in light of the best available

principles. Ethics does not simply ask how to live well. It asks how we should live well

ethically, that is, in goodness and in right relation with each other, a task that may

require us to forego personal benefits, to carry out duties or to endure persecution. The

study of ethics comes with its own unique set of problems. More than most academic

subjects, ethical viewpoints are shaped and molded through a variety of different

aspects of society. A person’s individual ethical beliefs are the product of many factors,

including family, religion, economic status, environment, age, gender, race, and so

forth.
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Ward (2008), in his other study entitles Global Journalism Ethics he explains that

“ethics” I mean the analysis of correct conduct, responsible practice, and fair human

interactions in the light of the best available principles. Ethics is also about practical

judgment—the application of principles to issues and decisions. Ethics encompasses

theoretical and practical reasoning.

As an applied discipline, journalism ethics too often falls back on simplistic appeals to

general concepts such as “truth-seeking,” “freedom,” “serving the public,” and

“democracy.” Recent academic and critical theories of news media note that such terms

are contested (Berger 2000 as cited in Ward 2008)

Pate (2013), ethics means morality or study of morality, ethics is a branch of philosophy

that involves systemizing, defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong

conduct, often addressing disputes of moral mixture. In other word, Ethics is the branch

of philosophy that studies human action in terms of being right and wrong, licit or illicit.

Ethics is the division of philosophy that deals with questions of moral behaviour. Making

ethical decisions in the communication environment is easy when the facts are clear

and the choices are black and white. It’s a different story when ambiguity clouds the

situation along with incomplete information, multiple points of view, and conflicting

responsibilities (Wright, 2010).

The journalists are expected to be fair and truthful in providing information and writing

the news. They are also expected to adhere to the ethics and use ethical reasoning in

writing a piece of news. Even when dealing with sensational issues or privacy, the

journalists are bounded with ethics that they must follow (Azman et al., 2013)
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Fernandez (2010), journalism first obligation is to the truth. (p. 173). Although truth

can be semantically utilized in a different context, the desire to be truthful is elemental

since news’s most important quality is reliable and usable.

Our skeptical age has rediscovered that truth just isn’t something you can be sure

about. Moreover, in the history of the 20 th century, too many people who have said they

know The Truth have ended up committing barbarities. Yet journalists intuitively know

that they owe their first duty to truth or at least to reality, and they also know that they

have to exercise strict self-discipline to satisfy the obligation. This discipline is so

exacting that it can require the sacrifice of financial self-interest, of friendships, even of

personal safety. So while the concept of truth may lack clarity, every journalist knows

that truth can make non-negotiable demands (Fuller, 2001).

Ethical journalism is the application and evaluation of the principles and norms that

guide journalism practice. It is drawn by both professional journalism associations and

individuals in print, broadcast, and online news organizations to serve the public’s right

to know. Ethical journalists seek for the truth and resist the pressure that conveys

distortion, be they from media owners, business interests or political force (Daganato J.

et al., 2016).

Journalists have an obligation to personal conscience. Every journalist from the

newsroom to the boardroom must have a personal sense of ethics and responsibility a

moral compass. A public trust in which we are required to seek out and repot the truth,

not hide it from those we serve (Marin, 2001)

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Ike (2005), that journalists are facing serious challenges in the process of their duty.

Journalists are watchdog or gatekeepers of the society because they decide what news

is and they make much important decision about what society says to itself. Been the

gatekeepers of the society the profession is guided by journalism code of ethics to

ensure journalists are doing their job within the context. Ethics in journalism, is the

code of morals that journalist are supposed to uphold. These include a commitment to

revealing the truth objectivity without being influenced by self-interest; maintaining the

secrecy of sources and attributing what is said to the appropriate source.

Every profession is being governed by its ethics and code of conduct. The early and the

nationalist press were not governed by any formal ethics and code of conduct. All

through the ages, press freedom had come at a price and struggles had been waged to

ensure and sustain press freedom (Udoakah & Nnadi, 2007, Oladele, 2009).

Journalist is not a man who can write good, sound, logical English which he has learned

at school or which divine providence has put into his head without effort on his part,

unless he knows something of the fundamental of the things which he assumes to be

calling. Such people are special writer, a contribution to the press. Journalism

practitioners before and after undergoing course in media ethics opines that the media

ethics course had a noticeable and ethically positive effect upon the student value

system. (Alete, 2013).

According to KÖYLÜ (2006) the media is merely an instrument which can be used to

serve different ends. It is deemed to be indispensable to a democratic society because

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it can provide essential information without social or geographic distinction. Journalism

is generally regarded as an ‘honorable’ profession that performs a public service by

ensuring the dissemination of knowledge news, comment, investigation and views. In

addition to such basic moral values as ‘accuracy, honesty and substance’, this identity

also includes codes of conduct requiring the implementation of these values and

sanctions when they are not. While allowing the journalist to perform his job in a

satisfactory manner, these codes also strengthen him against interventions in the

performance of his job.

Heinonen (2005) Finnish journalists, some ethical demands are usually regarded as

constant or ‘perpetual’, whether the job is performed in traditional or in new media

(truthfulness, accuracy, fairness, credibility); some other ethical values are also

regarded as constant, but they are considered to be ‘highlighted in the online

environment’ that would be the case of plagiarism and of the blurring borders between

journalistic and non-journalistic contents, both made easier, more frequent and rather

‘normal’ by the new Internet context.

Betrand (2000), Media Ethics is an area in applied ethics that deals with specific ethical

principles and standards of mass communication and media. In communication, a great

good and great evil result from the use that people make of social and mass

communication media. Although media is blamed as having done this and that, media is

not a blind force beyond human control.

Journalism Ethics is a species of applied media ethics that investigates the “micro”

problems of what individual journalists should do in particular situations, and the

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“macro” problems of what news media should do, given their role in society. Journalists

as members of news organizations have rights, duties and norms because as human

beings, they fall under general ethical principles such as to tell the truth and minimize

harm, and because as professionals they have social power to frame the political

agenda and influence public opinion. Thus, any discussion of journalism ethics must

include the problem of truth and objectivity in journalism, and decline of the traditional

doctrine of news objectivity to the point where it is, a spent ethical force (Ward, 2008).

It is imperative that audiences claim responsibility as consumers of media because in

doing so they force the media—the mass communicators—to uphold their ethical

obligations as media producers (Emmons, 2010).

Journalism must not only aim to be intrinsically truthful and honest, but also needs to

actively prove its worth in the public sphere. In other words, it must demonstrate that it

has a solid sense of ethics (Chan-Meetoo, 2013).

Chan-Meetoo (2013), in her study expressed that , Risk exists that codes of ethics could

lead to the temptation of excessive highbrow morality, this is still not a sufficient

argument to simply not have any framework for a common agreement as to what is

acceptable or not in the way news are sourced, treated and put into the public arena.

Concluded in her study, when asked about personal experience with ethical issues, half

of the respondents stated that they have either witnessed or been personally

confronted with incidents involving an ethical dimension. One stated that (s) he

currently has a case in court without providing further information about the case.

While it is true that what journalists say they do is not always the same as what they
 21

actually do, the discourse about professional roles and ethical standards is a prominent

marker of journalistic culture and an element that can be and is usually compared

cross-nationally (Rupar & Seizova, 2017).

There exist a number of international declarations of news media principles. Of special

note is the development of an international approach to the study of media

communication and journalism. The studies provide a portrait of the “news people”

around the world and how their media systems and values compare (Ward, 2008).

Newson (2008) all members of the union engaged in gathering, transmitting,

disseminating and commenting on news and information shall observe the code of

ethics in their professional activities.

Marcel (2009), Ethics are rules or principles of behaviour that are purported to guide

actions. The transparency of the newsgathering process is important because it clarifies

the mediating character of communication in news media; it reminds the reader that

there is a journalist between reality and representation of reality (Rupar, 2006).

On the other hand, the duty of transparency is closely connected with commitment to

truth and requires acknowledging moral dimensions of all communicative acts. As truth

seekers the truth presenters, the journalists must be open and honest with their

audiences. That is why honesty, independence of opinion, fair judgement, and news

values are among the main factors that define journalistic principles and support media

credibility. If one or several of these principles are violated, the public has the right to

know what influenced certain editorial decisions (Grynko, 2012).

In the study of Phillips (2013) In each case the practices that are deployed may be
 22

positively harmful when used without ethical boundaries and, in each case, individual

practitioners may find themselves tempted by commercial considerations, to push the

boundaries of ethical practice, either for their own immediate gain or because market

conditions put them under extreme pressure to act unethically. The decision to act

ethically is, of course, an individual decision – something that Foucault describes as a

‘practice of freedom’.

Aviles (2014) Journalistic practice is experiencing a dialectical tension between the

prevailing social values, which shape journalists’ professional standards, and the

deontological codes, which contain norms that counteract particular professional

practices, which are based on the dominant ethos.

As documented, the loss of exclusivity is impacting on practices of reporting and on

standards of ‘‘accuracy’’ and ‘‘sincerity’’; she argues that establishing new standards of

transparency could help protect professional reporting in the networked era, as well as

improving ethical standards in journalism (Phillips, 2010 , p. 373 as cited in Aviles 2014)

Freedom of expression in the writings of journalistic works are required to be

responsible for the published news. So as not to face the legal issues and

criminalization, then press should perform tasks and functions to enforce ethics as the

precautionary principle when processing the news and broadcast it to the public space,

as well as upholding human rights (Astuti, 2013).

It is imperative that those who are in the industry of information and news production

are armed with the necessary skills and mechanisms to process, report and represent

information along ethical lines (Meetoo, 2013).

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Research Methodology

This part of the study discusses the research procedures and methods, research

instrument, research procedure, data gathering method and statistical treatment of

data.

Research Method

The study will utilize a quantitative and qualitative method wherein they were primarily

used to extract significant data in the conduct if survey, key informant interviews,

participant observation to assess the level of awareness and the extent of practices

among media practitioners in Dumaguete City media profession.

Research Respondents

The respondents of the study are more or less thirty media practitioners in Dumaguete

City who are both in Print and broadcast Journalism

Research Instrument

A survey questionnaire was administered to the respondents as the primary data

gathering instrument. The set of questionnaires is composed of two (2) parts. The first

part of the questionnaire is for their demographic profile to determine their Age,

Gender, Occupation, Educational Background, and Training Attended. Part two of the
 24

questionnaire will evaluate the level of awareness and extent of practices of media

practitioners’ base on the Journalist Code of Ethics. An interview has been conducted to

two station managers on in the strong implementation of the PPI Code of Ethics and

the relevance of the code to the present time.

The questionnaire was constructed only after a thorough review of the related literature

and studies. The ideas gathered from work experiences and trainings help the

researcher to be more acquainted with the subject being studied. The final preparation

of the questionnaire was strengthened through the guidance of the adviser and the

Thesis Committee during proposal defense.

Likewise, the Likert Scale Model was used to measure numerically the verbal responses

of the respondents

Data-Gathering Procedure

For this study the researcher will use the non-probability sampling technique which is

the convenience sample. The researcher gathers among local journalists then send

sample questionnaire through email, Facebook messenger or to their respective news

agency. All journalists are located in the City of Dumaguete and are either working as

print journalist, broadcast journalist, online journalist or freelance journalists in the city.

The first 25 journalists to reply on the questionnaire will be taken as the sample for this

research.

Statistical Treatment of Data

A statistical tool will use to solve for the percentage, weighted mean, and standard
 25

deviation equivalent to find out the most commonly used measure.

To measure the degree of the relationship between the level of awareness and extent

of practices on the Journalist Code of Ethics among media practitioners.

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