“There’s a Rule Book in my Head”: Journalism Ethics Meet A.I. in the Newsroom

The burgeoning use of artificial intelligence (A.I.) to create journalistic products is challenging the ethical standards in Canadian newsrooms and calling into question the efficacy of existing norms and practice worldwide. Ethical literacy related to the use of A.I. remains low in the industry at large, and with no standardized ethical practice, there is little understanding of how journalistic doxa might need to expand to keep up with technology. Ensuring ethical practice is becoming more critical in a polarized political climate where mis- and disinformation abound, audiences demand transparency, and the very boundaries and definitions of journalism are contested by both journalists and their audiences. Utilizing field theory, through interviews with journalists and analysis of published codes of ethics and existing literature, this article examines how Canadian newsrooms are using A.I., and whether ethical frameworks are adequately evolving alongside technology.