Conflict of Interest

This entry provides an overview of conflict of interest in journalism, what it is, how it is changing, and how it can be remedied. Conflict of interest occurs when other interests, such as financial, political, or personal interests, influence a reporter's judgment and undermine his or her ability to serve the public interest through independent reportage. Traditionally, journalism scholarship has focused on issues surrounding financial conflicts of interest, such as a reporter's investments; and paid less attention to non-monetary conflicts that can arise from a journalist's personal relationships and strongly held beliefs. As journalists apply their skills in hybrid roles across once distinct fields of communication, practitioners are facing a complex range of possible conflicts as they straddle public relations, brand journalism, and traditional news reporting, while running a freelance business and crowd sourcing funding. Further research is required into the adequacy of existing journalism codes to manage conflicts of interest in this changing environment.