Examining education and newsroom work experience as predictors of communication students’ perceptions of journalism ethics

Abstract

This study examines education and work experience in newsrooms as predictors of ethical perceptions amongst communication undergraduates at a large Singaporean university (N= 826). Results indicate that education is associated with ethical ideologies, perceived importance of journalism ethics codes, justifiability of using contentious news gathering methods and concern towards journalistic plagiarism and fabrication. However, in this context education is not a significant predictor of agreement with ethical principles or support for sanctions against journalistic plagiarism and fabrication. Ethical ideologies (idealism and relativism) are associated with ethical principles and the degree to which using contentious news gathering methods is justifiable. Work experience in newsrooms is associated with perceived justifiability of using contentious news gathering methods but not with ethical ideologies. The pattern of results was not entirely as predicted, and may be a function of the way journalism is practiced and perceived in Singapore.