Abstract
ABSTRACT – Social media profoundly challenges journalistic autonomy in developing nations, reshaping traditional roles and raising ethical dilemmas. Digital platforms introduce pressures from commercialization, audience metrics, and the need to balance engagement with accuracy and credibility. Journalists are compelled to adopt strategies like creating multiple digital identities and supporting alternative media to maintain integrity. This research, based on a systematic review of 22 articles from the Scopus database, was conducted, focusing on the intersection of social media, journalism, and autonomy from 2015 to 2025. These findings highlight the critical need to understand how these adaptive measures foster independence and recommend further study into long-term ethical impacts, media literacy, and the role of alternative media in sustaining journalistic integrity amidst the transformative influence of social media in these regions.
RESUMO – As redes sociais desafiam profundamente a autonomia jornalística nos países em desenvolvimento, remodelando os papéis tradicionais e levantando dilemas éticos. As plataformas digitais introduzem pressões da comercialização, métricas de audiência e a necessidade de equilibrar o envolvimento com a precisão e credibilidade. Os jornalistas são obrigados a adotar estratégias como a criação de múltiplas identidades digitais e o apoio a meios de comunicação alternativos para manter a integridade. Esta pesquisa, baseada numa revisão sistemática de 22 artigos da base de dados Scopus, foi realizada com foco na interseção entre redes sociais, jornalismo e autonomia de 2015 a 2025. Essas descobertas destacam a necessidade crítica de compreender como essas medidas adaptativas promovem a independência e recomendam mais estudos sobre os impactos éticos de longo prazo, a alfabetização midiática e o papel da mídia alternativa na manutenção da integridade jornalística em meio à influência transformadora das redes sociais nessas regiões.
RESUMEN – Las redes sociales suponen un profundo desafío para la autonomía periodística en los países en desarrollo, ya que están transformando los roles tradicionales y planteando dilemas éticos. Las plataformas digitales introducen presiones derivadas de la comercialización, las métricas de audiencia y la necesidad de equilibrar el compromiso con la precisión y la credibilidad. Los periodistas se ven obligados a adoptar estrategias como la creación de múltiples identidades digitales y elapoyo a medios alternativos para mantener su integridad. Esta investigación, basada en una revisión sistemática de 22 artículos de la base de datos Scopus, se centró en la intersección entre las redes sociales, el periodismo y la autonomía entre 2015 y 2025. Estos hallazgos ponen de relieve la necesidad crítica de comprender cómo estas medidas de adaptación fomentan la independencia y recomiendan seguir estudiando los impactos éticos a largo plazo, la alfabetización mediática y el papel de los medios alternativos en el mantenimiento de la integridad periodística en medio de la influencia transformadora de las redes sociales en estas regiones.
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