Freud and Jung’s Theories in Media Ethics They believed not only conscious decisions, but unconscious components of the psyche influence our ethics and courses of action (Froehlich, 1). By Tara Shanker
Sigmund Freud’s Theories Structural model of the psyche –Id, ego, superego Dream Censorship –Manifest content and Latent content –Censorship, repressed issues
Freud’s Theories applied to Journalism Charles Gibson’s interviews with Sarah Palin and Barrack Obama –Critics claimed unconscious biases “Self editing”- form of censorship Give into desires if id is not balanced by ego –Ex. Acceptance of gifts
Carl Jung Student of Freud Created the idea of complexes, similar to Freud’s id,ego, and superego Archetypes
Archetypes “Jung's archetypes ‘give an interesting spin on the way media is planned, particularly with new media channels and the individuals they are attracting’, Mr. Archer said. ‘Archetypes help us identify those people and track them’” (McIntyre, 1). Caregiver Orphan (average guy or girl) Warrior (hero) Innocent Creator Lover Destroyer (outlaw) Seeker (explorer) Ruler Jester Magician Sage Ego Persona Shadow Anima/ animus Wise old man Mother Father Child
Archetypes in Fairy Tales Fairy Tales usually consist of: –King/Queen –Prince/Princess –Witch/Troll –Dunce/Fool
Snow White Queen- The Shadow Prince- Animus Snow White- Maiden 7 Dwarves- wise old man, jester
Archetypes of 9-11 in the media Victims of 9-11= the innocent Al-Qaeda= the destroyer/ The shadow George Bush= the hero? Firefighters= hero/seeker
Archetypes of the Election in the Media Archetypal theme of youth vs. maturity Sarah Palin- the mother, anima John McCain- the hero, wise old man Barrack Obama- the hero, the persona
Conclusion The unconscious, and themes we create in the unconscious, influence the media and how stories are produced. Therefore not all the news and stories the media produce is ethical. Freud and Jung’s theories of the subconscious directly relate to people’s mentality and their ethics.