Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities

Shahla Shiraliyeva

doi:doi:10.11648/j.com.20261301.11

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Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities

Shahla Shiraliyeva^*

Published in Communications (Volume 13, Issue 1)

Received: 29 September 2025 Accepted: 14 October 2025 Published: 16 January 2026

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Abstract

The rapid development of digital technologies has transformed not only how news is produced and distributed but also how ethical principles are understood and applied in journalism. The article explores the ethical challenges facing modern media in the digital age, focusing on issues like misinformation, privacy concerns, and the ethics of algorithmic content curation. It draws on various ethical theories - including utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics-to analyze the role of media professionals in navigating these dilemmas while maintaining trust and credibility in an increasingly fragmented media environment. The rise of digital media and social platforms has led to the rapid spread of misinformation, with serious consequences for public trust and democratic processes. High-profile examples like the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the role of fake news in elections underscore the need for media professionals to verify information and serve the public good. The ethical dilemma here involves whether tech platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, should be held to the same standards as traditional media in combatting misinformation. The spread of fake news, particularly during conflicts (e.g., the 2020 Azerbaijan-Armenia war), exemplifies how media manipulation can distort public opinion and escalate tensions. The article also addresses the ethical implications of algorithmic curation in digital platforms. Algorithms designed to personalize news and content often reinforce existing biases, creating "filter bubbles" and limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints. This raises questions about the ethical design of algorithms, emphasizing the need for transparency, fairness, and accountability. Virtue ethics suggests that media organizations should cultivate values such as integrity, fairness, and responsibility in algorithmic systems, ensuring they do not manipulate users for financial or political gain.

Published in	Communications (Volume 13, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.com.20261301.11
Page(s)	1-6
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Media Ethics, Digital Journalism, Artificial İntelligence, Media Responsibility, Misinformation, Disinformation, Fake News

References

[1]	Plaisance, P. L. (2013). Media ethics: Key principles for responsible practice. Sage Publications.
[2]	Edson T., Zheng Wei Lim. Defining “Fake News”: A typology of scholarly definitions. August 2017. Digital Journalism 6(3): 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2017.1360143
[3]	Raúl Rodríguez‐Ferrándiz. An Overview of the Fake News Phenomenon: From Untruth‐Driven to Post‐Truth‐Driven Approaches. April 2023 Media and Communication 11(2) https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i2.6315
[4]	Tufekci, Z. (2018). Twitter and tear gas: The power and fragility of networked protest. Yale University Press.
[5]	Zengler, T., & Field, K. (2020). Ethics and algorithmic bias: A social responsibility. Communications of the ACM, 63(7), 52–63. https://doi.org/10.1145/3381831
[6]	Christians, C. G., Fackler, M., & McKee, K. (2015). Media ethics: Cases and moral reasoning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315544199
[7]	Ess, C. (2013). Digital media ethics. Polity Press.
[8]	Allan, S. (2013). Citizen journalism: Global perspectives. Polity Press.
[9]	Mihailidis, P., & Viotty, S. (2017). Spreadable spectacle in digital culture: Civic expression, fake news, and the role of media literacies in “post-fact” society. American Behavioral Scientist, 61(4), 441–454. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764217701217
[10]	Mittelstadt, B. D., Allo, P., Taddeo, M., Wachter, S., & Floridi, L. (2016). The ethics of algorithms: Mapping the debate. Big Data & Society, 3(2), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951716679679
[11]	Pariser, E. (2011). The filter bubble: What the Internet is hiding from you. Penguin.
[12]	Ward, S. J. A. (2019). Ethical journalism in a populist age: The democratically engaged journalist. Rowman & Littlefield.
[13]	Media Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan. (2023, October 21). Statement on false information published in the Austrian press. Report.az. https://report.az/media-xeber/media-avstriya-metbuatinda-derc-olunan-saxta-xeberle-bagli-aciqlama-yayib
[14]	Shahla Shiraliyeva (2025). The ethical challenges of reporting on terrorism. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/

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Shiraliyeva, S. (2026). Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities. Communications, 13(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20261301.11

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ACS Style

Shiraliyeva, S. Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities. Communications. 2026, 13(1), 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.com.20261301.11

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AMA Style

Shiraliyeva S. Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities. Communications. 2026;13(1):1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.com.20261301.11

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@article{10.11648/j.com.20261301.11,
  author = {Shahla Shiraliyeva},
  title = {Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities},
  journal = {Communications},
  volume = {13},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-6},
  doi = {10.11648/j.com.20261301.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20261301.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.com.20261301.11},
  abstract = {The rapid development of digital technologies has transformed not only how news is produced and distributed but also how ethical principles are understood and applied in journalism. The article explores the ethical challenges facing modern media in the digital age, focusing on issues like misinformation, privacy concerns, and the ethics of algorithmic content curation. It draws on various ethical theories - including utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics-to analyze the role of media professionals in navigating these dilemmas while maintaining trust and credibility in an increasingly fragmented media environment. The rise of digital media and social platforms has led to the rapid spread of misinformation, with serious consequences for public trust and democratic processes. High-profile examples like the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the role of fake news in elections underscore the need for media professionals to verify information and serve the public good. The ethical dilemma here involves whether tech platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, should be held to the same standards as traditional media in combatting misinformation. The spread of fake news, particularly during conflicts (e.g., the 2020 Azerbaijan-Armenia war), exemplifies how media manipulation can distort public opinion and escalate tensions. The article also addresses the ethical implications of algorithmic curation in digital platforms. Algorithms designed to personalize news and content often reinforce existing biases, creating "filter bubbles" and limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints. This raises questions about the ethical design of algorithms, emphasizing the need for transparency, fairness, and accountability. Virtue ethics suggests that media organizations should cultivate values such as integrity, fairness, and responsibility in algorithmic systems, ensuring they do not manipulate users for financial or political gain.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities
AU  - Shahla Shiraliyeva
Y1  - 2026/01/16
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20261301.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.com.20261301.11
T2  - Communications
JF  - Communications
JO  - Communications
SP  - 1
EP  - 6
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5923
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20261301.11
AB  - The rapid development of digital technologies has transformed not only how news is produced and distributed but also how ethical principles are understood and applied in journalism. The article explores the ethical challenges facing modern media in the digital age, focusing on issues like misinformation, privacy concerns, and the ethics of algorithmic content curation. It draws on various ethical theories - including utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics-to analyze the role of media professionals in navigating these dilemmas while maintaining trust and credibility in an increasingly fragmented media environment. The rise of digital media and social platforms has led to the rapid spread of misinformation, with serious consequences for public trust and democratic processes. High-profile examples like the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the role of fake news in elections underscore the need for media professionals to verify information and serve the public good. The ethical dilemma here involves whether tech platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, should be held to the same standards as traditional media in combatting misinformation. The spread of fake news, particularly during conflicts (e.g., the 2020 Azerbaijan-Armenia war), exemplifies how media manipulation can distort public opinion and escalate tensions. The article also addresses the ethical implications of algorithmic curation in digital platforms. Algorithms designed to personalize news and content often reinforce existing biases, creating "filter bubbles" and limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints. This raises questions about the ethical design of algorithms, emphasizing the need for transparency, fairness, and accountability. Virtue ethics suggests that media organizations should cultivate values such as integrity, fairness, and responsibility in algorithmic systems, ensuring they do not manipulate users for financial or political gain.
VL  - 13
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Shahla Shiraliyeva

Journalism and World Literature Department, Nakhchivan State University, Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4197-064X

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Shiraliyeva, S. (2026). Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities. Communications, 13(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20261301.11

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Shiraliyeva, S. Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities. Communications. 2026, 13(1), 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.com.20261301.11

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AMA Style

Shiraliyeva S. Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities. Communications. 2026;13(1):1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.com.20261301.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.com.20261301.11,
  author = {Shahla Shiraliyeva},
  title = {Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities},
  journal = {Communications},
  volume = {13},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-6},
  doi = {10.11648/j.com.20261301.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20261301.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.com.20261301.11},
  abstract = {The rapid development of digital technologies has transformed not only how news is produced and distributed but also how ethical principles are understood and applied in journalism. The article explores the ethical challenges facing modern media in the digital age, focusing on issues like misinformation, privacy concerns, and the ethics of algorithmic content curation. It draws on various ethical theories - including utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics-to analyze the role of media professionals in navigating these dilemmas while maintaining trust and credibility in an increasingly fragmented media environment. The rise of digital media and social platforms has led to the rapid spread of misinformation, with serious consequences for public trust and democratic processes. High-profile examples like the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the role of fake news in elections underscore the need for media professionals to verify information and serve the public good. The ethical dilemma here involves whether tech platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, should be held to the same standards as traditional media in combatting misinformation. The spread of fake news, particularly during conflicts (e.g., the 2020 Azerbaijan-Armenia war), exemplifies how media manipulation can distort public opinion and escalate tensions. The article also addresses the ethical implications of algorithmic curation in digital platforms. Algorithms designed to personalize news and content often reinforce existing biases, creating "filter bubbles" and limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints. This raises questions about the ethical design of algorithms, emphasizing the need for transparency, fairness, and accountability. Virtue ethics suggests that media organizations should cultivate values such as integrity, fairness, and responsibility in algorithmic systems, ensuring they do not manipulate users for financial or political gain.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Navigating Digital Media Ethics: Challenges and Responsibilities
AU  - Shahla Shiraliyeva
Y1  - 2026/01/16
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20261301.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.com.20261301.11
T2  - Communications
JF  - Communications
JO  - Communications
SP  - 1
EP  - 6
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5923
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.com.20261301.11
AB  - The rapid development of digital technologies has transformed not only how news is produced and distributed but also how ethical principles are understood and applied in journalism. The article explores the ethical challenges facing modern media in the digital age, focusing on issues like misinformation, privacy concerns, and the ethics of algorithmic content curation. It draws on various ethical theories - including utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics-to analyze the role of media professionals in navigating these dilemmas while maintaining trust and credibility in an increasingly fragmented media environment. The rise of digital media and social platforms has led to the rapid spread of misinformation, with serious consequences for public trust and democratic processes. High-profile examples like the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the role of fake news in elections underscore the need for media professionals to verify information and serve the public good. The ethical dilemma here involves whether tech platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, should be held to the same standards as traditional media in combatting misinformation. The spread of fake news, particularly during conflicts (e.g., the 2020 Azerbaijan-Armenia war), exemplifies how media manipulation can distort public opinion and escalate tensions. The article also addresses the ethical implications of algorithmic curation in digital platforms. Algorithms designed to personalize news and content often reinforce existing biases, creating "filter bubbles" and limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints. This raises questions about the ethical design of algorithms, emphasizing the need for transparency, fairness, and accountability. Virtue ethics suggests that media organizations should cultivate values such as integrity, fairness, and responsibility in algorithmic systems, ensuring they do not manipulate users for financial or political gain.
VL  - 13
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download