Professional ethics in Algerian sports journalism

Abstract

Summary: Today, sport has transformed into a prominent social phenomenon, attracting many social groups as an important element in individuals' social lives. Sport now occupies a central place in the cultural stakes of our time and has become the arena in which the aspirations and feelings of nations are invested, with a certain force and intensity. It plays a prominent role in the formation of national identities. Sport, in general, and the myth of the champion, in particular, are now tools for boasting and gratification for individuals and groups. Moreover, sporting activities and events have become the subject of increasing media coverage and have also become the subject of huge financial stakes that attract enormous investments, generate huge profits, and thus open the door to fierce competition among the various players in the sector. The intensification of competition in sports, the proliferation of sports newspapers, television and radio channels, and the strong entry of sports clubs into this field, along with the resulting increased competition among them, the desire to be the first to report a story, the inflaming of public sentiment, and the pursuit of sensationalism, have led to numerous deviations in both sports ethics and journalistic conduct. While the sports field is currently experiencing a significant decline in sportsmanship as an inevitable consequence of the dominance of profit-driven, commercial, cheating, and violent values, it is certain that restoring ethical standards in sports cannot be achieved without the contribution of a sports journalism that is now more than ever required not only to adhere more closely to journalistic ethics but also to expose and condemn practices that violate sports ethics and to play an educational role for the millions of young people who are captivated by this sport. With the shift in public attention towards sports, and the latter's prominent place in the priorities of both rulers and ruled alike, it has become essential to shed light on the reality of professional ethics in sports media. From this perspective, this research attempts to address the topic of adherence to journalistic ethics in Algerian sports journalism – the concept and practice – through the lens of journalists at El Heddaf newspaper.