Chapter 14 Media Ethics

Goals of this chapter We will be covering the importance of ethical practices in media

Introduction to Basic Concepts First Amendment influence on media – Generally relies on industry for self-regulation: practice and monitoring Media Ethics are guidelines or moral rules about how professional communicators act in settings where their behavior could negatively effect others (and such behavior is not restricted by laws) – Typically deal with: Accuracy – is the content truthful Fairness – present all sides of the story equally Confidentiality – protects the identity of news sources

Book ’ s Interesting Scenario Portrayal of inter-racial crime in LA and Miami in the 1980s and 90s resulted in increased racial tension – The interracial aspect of the crime was sought out because it had been proven to attain higher ratings Ethical?

Considerations for Individuals Aristotle’s Golden Mean – “moral virtue’s appropriate location is between two extremes” – Keys are moderation and balance – Leads to the idea of presenting a balanced discussion—not biased to either side (through inclusion nor omission!) Golden Rule – cover a story for someone as you would want them to cover it for you Kant’s Categorical Imperative – “Act on that maxim which you will [wish] to become a universal law” – If you want everyone to be balanced in content-sidedness presentation, be balanced yourself Situational Ethics – more recently evolved from Kantian philosophy; use your instincts, there are no moral absolutes, sometimes you have to violate your principles for the greater good (dependent upon one’s perceptions) John Stuart Mill’s Principle of Utility – “seek the greatest happiness for the greatest number” – again, dependent on the perceptions of the individual Pragmatic Ethics (Dewey) – actions had to be judged by their results, not by whether they adhered to a particular philosophy or guideline

Ethical Dilemma Deconstruction Potter’s Box – Method of deconstructing ethical dilemmas – 4 stage model for working through complicated ethical dilemmas: Situation – define or clarify the facts of the issue, all the details Values – identify the different choices possible and the values or ethical issues that underlie the options/outcomes Principles – look for general principles that underlie the options identified previously (considerations for individuals) Loyalties – clarify your main loyalties in the situation (to yourself? The public? Your country? Etc.) – Doesn’t solve the problem, but helps you break it apart

Ethical Codes The Hutchins Commission and Social Responsibility (1947) – General guidelines based on two fundamental ideas: Whoever enjoys a freedom or position (like professional journalist) has an obligation to society to use their freedoms and powers responsibly Society’s welfare is paramount for journalists and media professionals, more important than individual careers or rights – They listed 5 suggested requirements of the press: To present meaningful news, accurate and separated from opinion To serve as a forum for the exchange of comment and criticism; allowing many points of view Should project a “representative picture of the constituent groups in society”; avoiding stereotypes and inclusively present minorities in stories/discussions Should present and clarify the goals and values of society To give broad coverage of what is known about society

Ethical Codes (cont ’ d) The Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics – Provides more detail, attempting to anticipate more specific situations and to offer guidance on how to deal with them – For example: “Avoid misleading reenactments or staged news events. If reenactments are required to tell a story, label it.” –1993 NBC staged GM blow up Ombudsmen serve as watchdogs of newspapers (with their own code to enforce ethical conduct of employees) – Experienced reporter or editor who acts as internal critic and spokesperson for public interest – Duties include: Represent the reader who has complaints, suggestions, questions or compliments Alert the newspaper to public complaints Investigate complaints and recommend action when needed Serve as in-house critic Write columns to the public about the paper’s policies, attitudes and operations Defend the paper publicly or privately when needed – Fewer than 40 American papers have Ombudsmen

Journalism Ethical Issues Accuracy of Information and Deception – Do we need different standards for different media? Internet vs. Television vs. Tabloids? Fairness or Responsibility – How critical of a story/person can a reporter be? Are they responsible about the consequences? – Should reporters write about things that they agree with? Withhold negative stories about parent companies? – Do you protect the privacy of anonymous sources even if they are breaking the law? Book says there is widespread agreement that you do… references future credibility with the “leakers”…. –How does this differ from what we were just discussing?

Ethical Issue: Sensationalism Began in New and Yellow Journalism periods. To get ratings, sometimes reporters break the law – Pentagon Papers during Vietnam; NYTimes – Two New York Daily News reporters smuggled weapons through security systems in Logan airport just a month after 9/11 Aimed to dramatize security holes They were successful, but broke the law Or dramatize an issue (the weather) Or insensitive reporters who shove cameras and microphones into peoples faces

Ethical Issues (cont ’ d) Junkets, Freebies and Expenses – A way for news organizations to send reporters out to cover a story at the expense of the company (whom the story is about) Junket - Expense-paid trip to gain publicity for a cause, or a product, a resort, or anything else Freebies – small media outlets can get free tickets to plays, concerts, books and other things (again, in hopes of favorable writeups) Commercialism – Ratings reign supreme: “If it bleeds, it leads” – Many stations plan sensationalized stories to run during sweeps—despite the fact that there is nothing new to report on the issue (prostitution, drugs, underage drinking, etc.) – Muted criticism about parent company’s other holdings

Ethical Issues (cont ’ d) Press Releases and Journalism – Oftentimes journalists rely on press releases for details of their story (sometimes overly so) – Press releases are clearly biased (in the company’s favor), written by PR professionals Privacy – Privacy – is the right to be protected from unwanted intrusions or disclosures – Source confidentiality is typically considered by journalists to be paramount – Journalists typically don’t consider the privacy of the subject of the story Seedy details, or even just regular details often make the story seem more tangible, more interesting Is this okay?

Ethical Issues (cont ’ d) Ethical Entertainment – Should movie/TV industry be concerned about potential social impact of their movies/shows? Pirates of the Caribbean; Supersize Me; Fahrenheit 9/11? – Current trend is to ignore or arbitrarily eliminate the link between media portrayals and societal impacts Good? Bad? Willimantic, CT Radio Issues – Payola – pay-per-play; commission paid to the DJ (which is illegal) to play a company’s song – Plugola – paying someone to get a product mentioned on the air Payment doesn’t have to be monetary!

Ethical Issues (cont ’ d) Advertising Ethics – Product Placement – is not typically obvious to the viewer, therefore may be influencing them without their knowledge ET and Reeses Pieces Game shows – Ethic, Gender stereotypes to sell? Taco Bell’s Latin-Chihuahua – Should some places be advertisement free? What about ads targeted at kids? (Flintstones) Plagiarism – Copying material from websites, other sources – Buying term-papers online Intellectual Property – Theft of Music, movies, papers