An assessment of Journalists’ Compliance to the Ethical Precepts of Objectivity and Balance in Reporting the 2023 General Election: A Study of Journalists in Imo State

Imo State journalists’ adherence to the moral standards of impartiality and balance in their reporting on the general election of 2023 was evaluated by the study. The deontological theory of ethics and the social responsibility theory served as the foundation of the study. The survey was used as the design. Using a questionnaire as the data collecting tool, 200 journalists who are based in Imo State were sampled according to the census principle. Findings showed that Imo State journalists have a very high level of understanding of the ethical principles of objectivity and balance in news reporting, with an average score of 3.6 (N=196). The extent of compliance to the ethical precepts of objectivity and balance in the 2023 general election reportage by the journalists was low at an average mean of 2.7 (N=196). In line with the findings, recommendations were made.