Advocacy Journalism in the Digital Age: Balancing Ethical Implications and Contemporary Realities

Abstract

Over the past few decades, journalism has changed tremendously, moving from traditional objective reporting to a more subjective and opinionated approach. Advocacy journalism is a relatively new kind of journalism that tries to further a specific ideology or point of view on social, political, or environmental concerns. Since it was first used in the 1990s, "advocacy journalism" has been the subject of heated discussion. Advocacy journalism aims to advance a specific agenda or point of view on social, political, and environmental concerns. As it attempts to encourage readers or viewers to accept a certain point of view, it is frequently regarded as a type of opinion journalism. To understand advocacy journalism from a theoretical point of view, we will see some definitions of advocacy journalism, how it varies from traditional journalism, and its effects on ethics. Stuart Allan, a Professor at a Journalism school in the U.K, defines advocacy journalism as "A form of journalism that goes beyond reporting to embrace an active commitment to social justice". Allan, in the book "Citizen Witnessing: Revisioning Journalism in Times of Crisis," (Allan, 2013), says that advocacy journalists aggressively promote a particular agenda or cause while also giving individuals whose opinions might not otherwise be heard a forum.

Joel Westheimer, a Professor at the University of Ottawa, and Richard Kahn, a former journalist, in their book, "Advocacy Journalism: A Sourcebook," define advocacy journalism as "Journalism that takes a position on an issue argues for it, and attempts to mobilize public opinion in favor of its position". (Westheimer & Kahn, 1997). They point out that in addition to reporting on events and issues, advocacy journalism may also include reporting on personal opinion and commentary, subjectivity, and interpretation. Author Andrea Wenzel In, her book "Community-Centered Journalism: Engaging People, Exploring Solutions, and Building Trust," defines advocacy journalism as "Journalism that prioritizes serving communities and promoting social justice" (Wenzel, 2021). According to Wenzel, advocacy journalism is grounded in a dedication to upholding the public interest and entails actively interacting with communities and advocating for solutions to social issues. The essential characteristics of advocacy journalism are highlighted by these definitions, which include a dedication to advancing social justice, taking a stand on issues, and actively working with communities to advance social problem solutions. Additionally, they say that advocacy journalism includes some subjectivity and interpretation and may include reporting on events and issues and providing personal analysis and opinions.