Journalistic Ethics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Towards an Update of Deontological Codes in the Ibero-American Context

This article critically reviews and updates the principles of deontological codes of communication in Ibero-American Community, aiming to adapt journalistic ethics to the new challenges posed by the advent of artificial intelligence (AI). As a qualitative analysis, it starts from the premise that c...

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Main Authors: Ingrid Viviana Estrella Tutivén, Cristina Garde Cano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade (CECS) 2025-06-01
Series:Comunicação e Sociedade
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Online Access:https://revistacomsoc.pt/index.php/revistacomsoc/article/view/6206
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author Ingrid Viviana Estrella Tutivén
Cristina Garde Cano
author_facet Ingrid Viviana Estrella Tutivén
Cristina Garde Cano
author_sort Ingrid Viviana Estrella Tutivén
collection DOAJ
description This article critically reviews and updates the principles of deontological codes of communication in Ibero-American Community, aiming to adapt journalistic ethics to the new challenges posed by the advent of artificial intelligence (AI). As a qualitative analysis, it starts from the premise that current deontological codes do not include updated guidelines for the integration of AI into journalistic work. Therefore, the objective is to reformulate some of the main ethical principles and propose structural conditions that could be incorporated into the regulations governing media professionals. To achieve this, a detailed analysis of various deontological codes was conducted alongside in-depth interviews with three types of professionals: journalists, academics, and expert consultants. Some interviewees also work as fact-checkers. The interview responses were coded and analysed according to the guidelines of the constant comparative method (Wimmer & Dominick, 2013) using the ATLAS.ti platform. The results provided sufficient input to update several principles (transparency, human judgement, bias control, verification and cross-checking, avoidance of rights violations, accountability, and citizen participation), as well as to identify four structural conditions for the ethical practice of journalism in the algorithmic age (regulation for a new social pact, awareness of the impact of disinformation, media literacy, and immutable journalistic ethics; Alsius, 2011). The study concluded that the use of AI in journalistic activities requires an adaptation of existing norms to ensure and recover the quality of information and the trust of audiences. Additionally, it highlights the need for balanced regulation that does not allow media abuses through AI while also respecting press freedom.
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spelling doaj-art-e16d2e1a84f6467fab17711c60797e352025-08-20T02:34:59ZengCentro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade (CECS)Comunicação e Sociedade1645-20892183-35752025-06-014710.17231/comsoc.47(2025).6206Journalistic Ethics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Towards an Update of Deontological Codes in the Ibero-American ContextIngrid Viviana Estrella Tutivén0Cristina Garde Cano1Facultad de Comunicación Social, Universidad de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, EcuadorDepartament de Comunicació, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain This article critically reviews and updates the principles of deontological codes of communication in Ibero-American Community, aiming to adapt journalistic ethics to the new challenges posed by the advent of artificial intelligence (AI). As a qualitative analysis, it starts from the premise that current deontological codes do not include updated guidelines for the integration of AI into journalistic work. Therefore, the objective is to reformulate some of the main ethical principles and propose structural conditions that could be incorporated into the regulations governing media professionals. To achieve this, a detailed analysis of various deontological codes was conducted alongside in-depth interviews with three types of professionals: journalists, academics, and expert consultants. Some interviewees also work as fact-checkers. The interview responses were coded and analysed according to the guidelines of the constant comparative method (Wimmer & Dominick, 2013) using the ATLAS.ti platform. The results provided sufficient input to update several principles (transparency, human judgement, bias control, verification and cross-checking, avoidance of rights violations, accountability, and citizen participation), as well as to identify four structural conditions for the ethical practice of journalism in the algorithmic age (regulation for a new social pact, awareness of the impact of disinformation, media literacy, and immutable journalistic ethics; Alsius, 2011). The study concluded that the use of AI in journalistic activities requires an adaptation of existing norms to ensure and recover the quality of information and the trust of audiences. Additionally, it highlights the need for balanced regulation that does not allow media abuses through AI while also respecting press freedom. https://revistacomsoc.pt/index.php/revistacomsoc/article/view/6206artificial intelligencejournalistic ethicsdeontologymediadisinformation
spellingShingle Ingrid Viviana Estrella Tutivén
Cristina Garde Cano
Journalistic Ethics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Towards an Update of Deontological Codes in the Ibero-American Context
Comunicação e Sociedade
artificial intelligence
journalistic ethics
deontology
media
disinformation
title Journalistic Ethics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Towards an Update of Deontological Codes in the Ibero-American Context
title_full Journalistic Ethics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Towards an Update of Deontological Codes in the Ibero-American Context
title_fullStr Journalistic Ethics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Towards an Update of Deontological Codes in the Ibero-American Context
title_full_unstemmed Journalistic Ethics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Towards an Update of Deontological Codes in the Ibero-American Context
title_short Journalistic Ethics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Towards an Update of Deontological Codes in the Ibero-American Context
title_sort journalistic ethics in the age of artificial intelligence towards an update of deontological codes in the ibero american context
topic artificial intelligence
journalistic ethics
deontology
media
disinformation
url https://revistacomsoc.pt/index.php/revistacomsoc/article/view/6206
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