Journal article
What Is Ethical AI Use in Journalism? Stakeholders' Perceptions of Ethical Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Usage in Kenyan Newsrooms
The international journal of press/politics
05/31/2026
DOI: 10.1177/19401612261453657
Abstract
The integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in newsrooms has prompted scholarly examination of its ethical use. While research has examined journalists' ethical practices and news audiences' perceptions, few studies have examined the perceptions of other key stakeholders (e.g., journalism educators, policymakers, influencers, and information technology experts) whose perceptions may influence ethical adoption. Rooted in folk theories as an explanatory and normative framework for making sense of complex phenomena, we interviewed 94 stakeholders to examine their folk theories about GenAI and their ethical understanding of its use in Kenyan journalism. Findings show that across stakeholder groups, participants' folk theories of what GenAI "is" shape how they interpret ethical concerns and perceive its potential consequences for journalism. Specifically, viewing GenAI as a content-creation tool connects to concerns about laziness, de-skilling, plagiarism, and the erosion of journalists' professional standards, as the technology risks replacing human creativity. Framing GenAI as a data-driven or algorithmic system aligns with concerns about misinformation, bias, and stereotypes against Kenyans stemming from Western data dominance. Understanding GenAI as a human-like partner fosters fear about blurred boundaries around authorship, transparency, and responsibility in newsrooms. Stakeholders' folk theories are further rooted in their professional identities and relationships to GenAI. Our findings contribute to scholarship on GenAI ethics by underscoring the importance of expanding journalism scholarship to account for stakeholders' perceptions.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- What Is Ethical AI Use in Journalism? Stakeholders' Perceptions of Ethical Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Usage in Kenyan Newsrooms
- Creators
- Bingbing Zhang - University of IowaKevin C. Mudavadi - Georgia State UniversityBrian Ekdale - University of IowaBrett Johnson - University of IowaMelissa Tully - University of IowaNur Hossain - University of IowaJonas Nyabor - University of IowaShitemi Khamadi - Indiana University Bloomington
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The international journal of press/politics
- DOI
- 10.1177/19401612261453657
- ISSN
- 1940-1612
- eISSN
- 1940-1620
- Publisher
- Sage
- Number of pages
- 22
- Grant note
- Benjamin Bankson Fellowship in Multimedia Journali / the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa the Summer Research Fellowships / the International Programs at the University of Iowa
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 05/31/2026
- Academic Unit
- Center for Social Science Innovation; Injury Prevention Research Center; School of Journalism and Mass Communication
- Record Identifier
- 9985174500702771
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