Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Media ethics in financial journalism : an investigation into the situation in South Africa
Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2012
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613975542235136 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Peyper, Liesl |
| author2 | Wasserman, Herman |
| author_browse | Peyper, Liesl Wasserman, Herman |
| author_facet | Wasserman, Herman Peyper, Liesl |
| author_sort | Peyper, Liesl |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53497 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:41.084Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publishDateRange | 2012 |
| publishDateSort | 2012 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53497 Media ethics in financial journalism : an investigation into the situation in South Africa Peyper, Liesl Wasserman, Herman Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism. Journalism, Commercial -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa Dissertations -- Journalism Theses -- Journalism Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Financial reporting is one of the most vulnerable sectors of journalism for the occurrence of possible unethical conduct. Financial journalists handle news with financial value and have access to privileged market information which confront them with numerous ethical problems, namely the use of press releases, the influence of public relations, the use of financial jargon, reporting on shares and the securities market, journalists' dependence on analysts' opinions and recommendations, the receipt of freebies and insider trading. This assignment gives an overview of the incidence of unethical conduct in financial reporting in South Africa. Ethical principles relevant for financial reporting, namely accuracy, truth and deception, fairness, objectivity and conflict of interest are analysed, discussed and illustrated with incidences of possible unethical behaviour in financial reporting. The research method comprised the scrutiny of business sections of newspapers and articles in finance magazines, articles from the World Wide Web, as well as sources on media ethics and business journalism. Accuracy in financial reporting is a necessity for sound journalism. The impact of press releases on accuracy in financial reporting was investigated, but did not yield sufficient proof that they necessarily lead to inaccurate reporting. Financial journalists' reliance on the opinions and recommendations of business analysts, however, revealed a significant contribution to inaccurate reporting. A chore journalistic value, truth establishes trust between the media and the public. Financial reporting should promote understanding of the relevant facts, not only for readers with a keen interest in financial matters, but also for the average audience. South African financial journalists use excessive jargon, arcane financial data and affected language which may confuse and even mislead the general reader. Share price reporting in South Africa is generally factual and the investigation did not yield any incidences of share punting among financial journalists. Analysts' reports, however, pose a serious threat for media independence as financial journalists rely on their expertise. Conflicts of interest arise when there is conflict between a journalist's professional loyalties and outside interests. An investigation into possible insider trading in South African financial journalism did not yield any proof of such incidences. The receipt of freebies, however, remains a grey area because most codes of conduct of South African news agencies only prohibit the receipt of freebies which are of more than nominal value. Recommendations include advanced journalism training courses which will enhance journalists' business writing skills and knowledge of basic Economics and finance, columns in financial publications which explain financial jargon and a greater emphasis on media ethics. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Finansiële verslaggewing is een van die mees vatbare sektore vir onetiese optrede in die joernalistiek. Finansiële verslaggewers het toegang tot vertroulike markinligting en doen beriggewing wat finansiële waarde het. Daarom word hulle dikwels gekonfronteer met verskeie etiese probleme, naamlik die gebruik van persvrystellings, die invloed van skakelbeamptes en woordvoerders, die gebruik van finansiële jargon, aandele-beriggewing, die steun op analiste se menings en aanbevelings asook die ontvang van geskenke ("freebies") en die bemarking, aanbeveling of koop en verkoop van aandele. Hierdie werkstuk gee 'n oorsig van die voorkoms van onetiese gedrag in finansiële verslaggewing in Suid-Afrika. Etiese beginsels wat betrekking het op finansiële verslaggewing, naamlik noukeurigheid, waarheid en misleiding, regverdigheid, objektiwiteit en botsende belange word ondersoek, bespreek en toegelig met die voorkoms van moontlike onetiese gedrag in finansiële verslaggewing. Die navorsingsmetode het berus op die bestudering van sake-bylae van koerante, artikels en saketydskrifte, artikels wat van die Internet verkry is, en bronne oor media-etiek en finansiële verslaggewing. Noukeurigheid in finansiële verslaggewing is noodsaaklik vir goeie joernalistiek. Die ondersoek na die invloed van persvrystellings op die noukeurigheid van finansiële verslaggewing het nie voldoende bewyse gelewer dat noukeurigheid ingeboet word nie. Dat finansiële verslaggewers egter steun op die mening en aanbevelings van analiste het getoon dat analiste se menings en aanbevelings dikwels tot onakkurate verslaggewing lei. Die waarheid is 'n kernbeginsel in joernalistiek en bewerkstellig vertroue tussen die media en die publiek. Finansiële verslaggewing behoort 'n begrip van die toepaslike feite te bevorder - nie alleenlik vir lesers wat belangstel in finansiële aangeleenthede nie, maar ook vir die gemiddelde leser. Finansiële verslaggewers in Suid-Afrika gebruik oormatige jargon, ingewikkelde finansiële data en geaffekteerde taal wat die gemiddelde leser kan verwar en mislei. Aandele-beriggewing in Suid-Afrika is oor die algemeen feitelik en die ondersoek het nie getoon dat finansiële verslaggewers aandele bemark of aanbeveel nie. Analiste se verslae bedreig egter die onafhanklikheid van die media, omdat finansiële verslaggewers steun op hul kennis. Botsende belange kom voor indien konflik ontstaan tussen 'n joernalis se professionele pligte en belange van buite. 'n Ondersoek na die moontlikheid dat Suid-Afrikaanse joernaliste hul eie aandele bemark of aanbeveel het egter geen bewyse van dergelike gevalle opgelewer nie. Die ontvang van geskenke ("freebies") is egter 'n moeilike kwessie, omdat die meeste gedragskodes van Suid- Afrikaanse nuusagentskappe slegs die ontvang van "freebies" verbied indien dit 'n nominale waarde oorskry. Aanbevelings sluit in gevorderde joernalistieke opleidingsprogramme wat joernaliste se finansiële skryfvermoë en kennis van Ekonomie en finansies verskerp, rubrieke in finansiële publikasies wat finansiële jargon omskryf asook 'n beklemtoning van die belangrikheid van mediaetiek. Masters 2012-08-27T11:35:30Z 2012-08-27T11:35:30Z 2003-04 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53497 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 45 p. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Journalism, Commercial -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa Dissertations -- Journalism Theses -- Journalism Peyper, Liesl Media ethics in financial journalism : an investigation into the situation in South Africa |
| title | Media ethics in financial journalism : an investigation into the situation in South Africa |
| title_full | Media ethics in financial journalism : an investigation into the situation in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Media ethics in financial journalism : an investigation into the situation in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Media ethics in financial journalism : an investigation into the situation in South Africa |
| title_short | Media ethics in financial journalism : an investigation into the situation in South Africa |
| title_sort | media ethics in financial journalism an investigation into the situation in south africa |
| topic | Journalism, Commercial -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa Dissertations -- Journalism Theses -- Journalism |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53497 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT peyperliesl mediaethicsinfinancialjournalismaninvestigationintothesituationinsouthafrica |