International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: Technological advancements have transformed the media landscape, providing journalists unprecedented access to vast data from diverse sources. Critical gaps exist in understanding how big data reshapes journalistic practices and ethical implications in digital storytelling in developing countries such as Nigeria.
Objective: This study examined leveraging big data in journalism and its impact on modern reporting, exploring how technology influences storytelling techniques while investigating ethical considerations in data-driven journalism.
Method: The research employed conceptual analysis, drawing on existing literature and theories from journalism and media studies contexts. Qualitative analysis was conducted on secondary data covering contemporary journalistic practices and big data applications.
Result: Big data significantly influenced data-driven reporting, enabling evidence-based insights and enhanced story credibility. New storytelling techniques emerged, leveraging data visualization and interactive platforms for engaging complex information presentation. Big data impacts story selection and framing, uncovering hidden trends. However, ethical considerations include privacy protection, data collection biases, and transparency requirements.
Conclusion: Big data shows considerable journalism transformation potential, but requires maintaining journalistic integrity while harnessing technological capabilities. Effective utilization demands addressing privacy, bias, and transparency challenges.
Unique Contribution: This research provides comprehensive examination of big data's transformative impact on contemporary journalism, offering evidence-based insights into opportunities and ethical challenges facing media organizations.
Key Recommendation: News organizations should enhance journalists' data literacy skills and develop ethical guidelines specifically for big data use, ensuring impactful, accurate, and ethically sound reporting serving public interest.