Media Ethics

Media Ethics:Truthfulness, Fairness,and Standards of DecencyResource Textbook:Ralph E. Hanson, Mass Communication: Living in a Media WorldComic: Duty Calls, http://xkcd.com/386/

Aristotle and Mill

The Images of September 11, 2001• AP photographer Richard Drew’s

dilemma• Why take the pictures?• “I photograph what happened,

and, in turn, I record and document history, and this is what happened. This is history. “ – Richard Drew

Morals versus Ethics• Morals

An individual’s code of behavior based on religious or philosophical principles. Morals define right and wrong in ways that may or may not be rational.

• EthicsA rational way of deciding what is good for individuals or society. A way to chose between competing moral principles or when there is not a clear right or wrong answer.

Aristotle, 350 BC• Golden Mean

Moral virtue is appropriate location between two extremes.

• Martinson says:Journalists take overly simplistic view of Golden Mean, assume it values compromise rather than finding virtue.

Immanuel Kant, 1780s• Categorical imperative

A moral obligation that we should act in a way in which we would be willing to have everyone else act.

• Do not treat people as a means to reach an end.

• Cannot justify behavior based on desirable outcomes.

John Stuart Mill• Principle of Utility

Ethical behavior arises from that which will provide the greatest good for the greatest number.

• “An act’s rightness is a desirable end.”

John Rawls, 1970 “Veil of ignorance”

Justice comes from making decisions that maximize liberty for all people and without considering which outcome will give us personally the biggest benefit.

Henry Luce, Social Responsibility Ethics 1947

• The press has a responsibility to give voice to the public and to society.

• The free press may not live up to its obligations to the public because of its need to serve its owners.

Sissela Bok’s Model for Ethical Decision Making, 1970s

• Consult your conscience.• Seek alternatives.• Hold an imaginary ethical

dialogue with all involved.

News: Truthfulness• Is the speaker/writer attempting to deceive

people?• Is the statement itself true or false?• Is the person trying to “make them believe

what we ourselves do not believe”?• Are journalists providing “the truth about

the fact”?

News: Truthfulness• Deliberate deception

Stephen Glass, Patricia Smith, Mike Barnicle

• Why do news organizations not catch deception?

“Conflict of Interest”• conflict of interest (COI) occurs when an

individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other.

News: Corporate Conflict of Interest• How do you report on

organizations your parent company owns?

• Disney, ABC and The Sock Puppet.

• “Synergy” but also conflict of interest.

News: Sensationalism• Sensationalism

News coverage that panders to audiences with lurid and highly emotional stories of crime, sex, violence, and celebrities.

• Tabloid launderingWhen respectable media report on what tabloids are covering.

Digital Photo EditingHow much is too much?• What is an acceptable level of photo

manipulation?• Should viewers know to what degree

a photo has been altered?• Does intentionally making changes in

a photo change the viewer’s response to the image?

Digital Photo EditingStandards, see pg 509

Enforcing Ethics“Ombudsman”– a representative of a publication’s readers who takes the point of view of those who purchase or consume the news; aka as a reader’s representative or audience advocate.

Truth in Advertising• How important is it for advertising claims to be true?• Factual claims about drugs and food held to higher

standard.• Claims of being “best” need to be documented.• “The only claims we’d make ought to be suffiently

humorous, exaggerated, and far-fetched that no one will take them seriously.”

“Good Taste” and Calvin Klein

”… convey the idea that glamour is an inner quality that can be found in regular people in the most ordinary setting; it is not something exclusive to movie stars and models.” – C. Klein

Advertising Media Control• Advertisers may pull ads from publications/stations

in response to critical or offensive stories.• Magazine editors warn advertisers about

controversial articles.• Advertisers promote development of television

programs they would like to advertise on.

Public Relations Society of America• Advocacy• Honesty• Expertise• Independence• Loyalty• Fairness Page 518

Citizens for a Free Kuwait• Should Hill & Knowlton have investigated

woman’s claims before arranging her testimony?

• Who should the PR agency have first loyalty to: the client or the public?