Living the Dilemma: Investigative Journalists’ Experiences of Ethical Conflict in the Digital Newsroom

Abstract

Investigative journalism in the digital era presents complex ethical challenges influenced by commercial, political, and technological pressures. While existing literature has explored media ethics through normative frameworks, limited research has examined how journalists personally experience and navigate ethical dilemmas in real-time reporting contexts. What remains unclear is how investigative reporters interpret ethical conflicts during the production of controversial news stories under institutional constraints. This study adopts an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of investigative journalists when facing such dilemmas. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight journalists actively engaged in digital investigative reporting, and the data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The findings reveal four major themes: tension between personal integrity and institutional pressure, the role of fear in self-censorship, ambiguity in ethical guidelines, and professional resilience through alternative strategies. These themes highlight ethical decision-making as a dynamic and emotionally charged process shaped by internal reflection and external limitations. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of journalistic ethics as experienced in practice, suggesting the need for more supportive ethical frameworks and newsroom policies. This study offers meaningful insights into the human dimension of journalism and encourages future research into culturally and structurally diverse media environments.