Ethics in Media Communications Cases and Controversies (with InfoTrac)

by Day, Louis A.

• ISBN13: 9780534562359
• ISBN10: 0534562353
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-05-29
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

Have you ever wondered exactly what ethical standards exist in the media? ETHICS IN MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS: CASES AND CONTROVERSIES explains it all and shows you that there's a lot more to the story behind the scenes. Whether the issue is censorship, privacy, or accuracy, the media is governed by ethical norms that you need to know. And because it's packed with case studies and review tools, this media ethics textbook is the one that will help out on the test as well.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Introduction	xi
PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS AND PRINCIPLES	1	(74)
Ethics and Moral Development	2	(20)
The Study of Ethics: An Overview	2	(4)
The Three Branches of Ethics	4	(1)
Ethical Communication	5	(1)
The Value of Ethics Education	6	(4)
Contents of a Course in Media Ethics	8	(1)
Developing Ethical Fitness	9	(1)
The First Principles of Moral Virtue	10	(3)
Credibility	10	(1)
Integrity	11	(1)
Civility	11	(2)
The Formation of Ethical Values and Attitudes	13	(3)
Defining Values and Attitudes	13	(1)
Sources of Values and Attitudes	14	(2)
The Ethical Dilemma: Conflict of Values	16	(6)
Summary	19	(1)
Notes	20	(2)
Ethics and Society	22	(31)
The Need for a System of Ethics	22	(5)
Society and Moral Anchors	22	(2)
The Functions of the Media within the Ethical System	24	(3)
Requirements of a System of Ethics	27	(2)
Shared Values	27	(1)
Wisdom	27	(1)
Justice	28	(1)
Freedom	28	(1)
Accountability	29	(1)
The Social Compact and Moral Duties	29	(4)
The Two Levels of Moral Duty	29	(2)
Deciding among Moral Duties	31	(2)
The Nexus of Law and Ethics	33	(2)
Institutional Autonomy and Social Responsibility	35	(6)
The Libertarian View	35	(1)
Social Responsibility	36	(5)
The Challenges of the Information Age	41	(3)
Convergence: New Media and Old Media	41	(1)
The Ethics of Cyberspace: Old Wine in New Bottles	42	(2)
The Media as Socially Responsible Institutions	44	(9)
Codes of Conduct	45	(2)
The Ombudsman System	47	(1)
News Councils	48	(1)
Summary	49	(1)
Notes	50	(3)
Ethics and Moral Reasoning	53	(22)
Moral Reasoning and Ethical Decision Making	53	(1)
The Context of Moral Reasoning	54	(1)
The Philosophical Foundations of Moral Theory	55	(4)
The Greek Connection	55	(1)
The Judeo-Christian Ethic	56	(1)
Kant and Moral Duty	56	(1)
The Appeal of Utilitarianism	57	(1)
The Ethics of Egalitarianism	58	(1)
The Rise of Relativism	58	(1)
Ethical Theories in Moral Reasoning	59	(4)
Deontological (Duty-Based) Theories	59	(2)
Teleological (Consequence-Based) Theories	61	(1)
Virtue Theories: Aristotle's Golden Mean	62	(1)
Critical Thinking in Moral Reasoning	63	(1)
A Model of Moral Reasoning	64	(3)
The Situation Definition	65	(1)
Analysis of the Situation	65	(1)
Decision	66	(1)
A Sample Case Study	67	(8)
Situation Definition	67	(1)
Analysis	68	(3)
Decision	71	(1)
Summary	72	(1)
Notes	72	(3)
PART TWO: CASES IN MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS	75	(364)
Truth and Honesty in Media Communications	76	(53)
A World of Limited Truth	76	(2)
Truth as a Fundamental Value	78	(1)
The Importance of Truth	79	(2)
Media Practitioners and the Truth-Falsehood Dichotomy	81	(17)
Truth in Journalism	82	(11)
Infotainment: Where Truth and Fiction Collide	93	(2)
Truth in Advertising and Public Relations	95	(2)
Public Relations and Journalism: A Love-Hate Relationship	97	(1)
Intellectual Dishonesty	98	(3)
Truth Telling and Approaches to Moral Reasoning	101	(1)
Truth and Deception: Hypothetical Case Studies	101	(28)
Case Studies	102	(1)
Crisis Management on the Web and the Framing of Truth	102	(4)
Hidden Cameras and the Journalist as Social Conscience	106	(3)
The Careless Chaperons and the Unbridled Teens	109	(2)
Digital Photography and the Manipulation of Reality	111	(3)
Tainted Research and the Right to Know	114	(3)
Selling a Pain Remedy: Literal Truth as Deception	117	(2)
The Media Consultant as the Truth Squad	119	(3)
Vow of Silence	122	(3)
Notes	125	(4)
The Media and Privacy: A Delicate Balance	129	(46)
Ethics and Privacy: The Search for Meaning	129	(1)
The Value of Privacy	130	(4)
The Emergence of Privacy as a Moral Value	131	(1)
Privacy as a Legal Concept	132	(2)
The Need for an Ethics of Privacy	134	(3)
Basic Principles	134	(2)
Data Mining and Privacy in Cyberspace	136	(1)
Privacy and the Journalist: Some Special Problem Areas	137	(12)
Contagious Diseases and Disabilities	138	(1)
Homosexuality	139	(1)
Sex Crimes	140	(2)
Juvenile Offenders	142	(1)
Using Children as Sources	143	(1)
Suicides	144	(1)
Secret Cameras and Recorders	145	(1)
Accidents and Personal Tragedies	146	(1)
Computers and Database Journalism	147	(2)
The Search for Journalistic Guidelines	149	(1)
Advertising and Privacy	150	(1)
Privacy: Hypothetical Case Studies	151	(24)
Case Studies	152	(1)
The Pregnant Place Kicker	152	(2)
The Massacre at Langdale High and Laura's Secret Diary	154	(4)
In Vitro Fertilization and a Candidate's Family Secret	158	(3)
The Family Court Judge with a Mysterious Past	161	(3)
Courtroom Cameras and the Right to Privacy	164	(3)
The Right to Die with Dignity	167	(2)
Cyberspace Data Mining as a Public Relations Tool	169	(3)
Notes	172	(3)
Confidentiality and the Public Interest	175	(33)
The Principle of Confidentiality	175	(3)
The Justification for Confidentiality	178	(1)
Seeking Disclosure: The Moral Position of the Actor	179	(2)
Confidentiality in Journalism: Some Special Concerns	181	(3)
The Case for and against Confidentiality	181	(2)
A Delicate Balance: Confidentiality and Competing Interests	183	(1)
Changes in the Reporter-Source Relationship	184	(1)
The Principle of Confidentiality: Hypothetical Case Studies	185	(23)
Case Studies	186	(1)
Smallpox as a Weapon of Mass Destruction	186	(3)
A Public Relations Challenge: Fraud in a University's Basketball Program	189	(4)
The Online Editor and the Secret Negotiations	193	(2)
Gender Norming and the Admiral's Public Relations Problem	195	(4)
Attorney-Client Privilege and the Public's Right to Know	199	(3)
Client Confidentiality in Radio Sales	202	(1)
The Student Newspaper and Faculty Evaluations	203	(4)
Notes	207	(1)
Conflicts of Interest	208	(37)
Conflicts of Interest: Real and Imagined	208	(2)
Recognizing Conflicts: The Most Troublesome Terrain	210	(12)
Conflicting Relationships	210	(7)
Conflicting Public Participation	217	(3)
Vested Interests and Hidden Agendas	220	(2)
Approaches to Dealing with Conflicts of Interest	222	(1)
Conflicts of Interest: Hypothetical Case Studies	222	(23)
Case Studies	223	(1)
A Riverboat Casino Seeks Public Relations Counsel	223	(2)
DNA Testing: A Journalist's Call for Justice	225	(3)
The NABJ and Divided Loyalties	228	(3)
A Witness to Genocide	231	(2)
Campus Journalists and the Tobacco Wars	233	(4)
Switching Sides in Public Relations	237	(3)
Cable's Friend in Congress	240	(2)
Notes	242	(3)
Economic Pressures and Social Responsibility	245	(33)
Economic Interests versus Moral Obligations	245	(1)
Concentration of Media Ownership	246	(2)
The Alliance of Mass Media and Marketing	248	(5)
The Role of Advertising	253	(4)
The Media's Lifeline: The Ethical Challenges of Commercial Sponsorship	253	(2)
The Challenges of Cyberspace	255	(1)
Product Placements	256	(1)
Economic Pressures: Hypothetical Case Studies	257	(21)
Case Studies	257	(1)
Web-Based Ads and the Search Engine's Search for Financial Stability	257	(3)
The Talk Show as News Lead-In	260	(2)
The Commercialization of PBS	262	(3)
The Alumni Magazine: Journalism or Public Relations?	265	(3)
Product Placement in Prime Time	268	(2)
Slain Civil Rights Heroes as Commercial Props	270	(3)
The Junket as a Public Relations Tool	273	(2)
Notes	275	(3)
The Media and Antisocial Behavior	278	(36)
The Influence of the Media on Behavior	278	(1)
Media Lessons and Moral Responsibility	279	(10)
Antisocial Acts and Professional Obligations	279	(1)
The Media's Influence on Antisocial Behavior	280	(9)
The Media and Civility	289	(4)
Uncivil Behavior	289	(1)
Hate Speech	290	(2)
Dirty Tricks	292	(1)
The Media and Antisocial Behavior: Hypothetical Case Studies	293	(21)
Case Studies	293	(1)
Online Ads for AIDS Drugs and the Promotion of Unsafe Sex	293	(3)
Investigating Child Pornography: Limits of the First Amendment	296	(3)
Sports Trash Talk and the End of Innocence	299	(2)
Alcohol Ads in the Campus Newspaper	301	(3)
Online Links to Terrorist Home Pages	304	(3)
Violence in the Nation's Schools: A Radical Proposal	307	(3)
Drug Scenes on Prime-Time Television	310	(2)
Notes	312	(2)
Morally Offensive Content: Freedom and Responsibility	314	(32)
Society's Surveillance of Offensive Material	314	(1)
Pornography, Indecency, and Moral Responsibility	315	(5)
Offensive Speech	320	(1)
A Matter of Taste: Shocking and Disturbing Visuals	321	(3)
The Lingering Legacy of Blasphemy	324	(1)
The Case for Moral Limits	325	(1)
The Harm Principle	325	(1)
The Principle of Paternalism	325	(1)
The Principle of Moralism	326	(1)
The Offense Principle	326	(1)
The Case against Moral Limits	326	(1)
The Search for Standards	327	(1)
Morally Offensive Content: Hypothetical Case Studies	328	(18)
Case Studies	328	(1)
The Reparations Ad and the Limits of Free Speech	328	(3)
Live! From Death Row!	331	(3)
An Obit for a Stillborn	334	(2)
The Resurrection Conspiracy: Blasphemy or Artistic Freedom?	336	(2)
The Online Birth and News Values	338	(3)
Cyberporn and Free Speech	341	(3)
Notes	344	(2)
Media Content and Juveniles: Special Ethical Concerns	346	(26)
Juveniles and Cultural Paternalism	346	(2)
Influences on the Juvenile Audience	348	(5)
Movies	348	(1)
Recordings	349	(1)
Television	349	(2)
Advertising	351	(2)
The Juvenile Audience: Hypothetical Case Studies	353	(19)
Case Studies	354	(1)
Nottoway Landing's Cult Following among Young Female Viewers	354	(3)
Teen Therapy on the Airwaves	357	(2)
Advertising in the Public Schools	359	(3)
Video Games and the Promotion of Incivility	362	(3)
Credit Card Ads and the Teen Audience	365	(2)
Kids as Public Relations Strategy	367	(3)
Notes	370	(2)
Media Practitioners and Social Justice	372	(36)
The Principle of Formal Justice	372	(1)
Media Practitioners and Social Justice: Two Views	372	(13)
The Libertarian Concept of Justice	373	(1)
The Egalitarian Concept and Social Responsibility	374	(1)
The Mainstream: A Philosophical Blend	375	(10)
Social Justice and Ethical Decision Making	385	(1)
The Media and Social Justice: Hypothetical Case Studies	386	(22)
Case Studies	387	(1)
Diversity in the Public Relations Workplace: Race and Social Justice	387	(3)
Litigation Public Relations as a Tool of Justice	390	(3)
Christian Advocacy Ads and Homosexuality	393	(4)
The African-American Publisher and Divided Loyalties	397	(2)
International Public Relations, Morality, and Social Justice	399	(3)
Environmental Justice and Media Access	402	(3)
Notes	405	(3)
Stereotypes in Media Communications	408	(31)
The Concept of Stereotypes	408	(2)
The Role of Stereotypes in Media Content	410	(8)
Racial and Ethnic Minorities	411	(3)
Female Stereotypes	414	(1)
Sexual Orientation and Stereotypical Depictions	415	(1)
The Elderly	416	(1)
The Disabled	417	(1)
Strategies for Confronting Media Stereotyping	418	(1)
Stereotypes and the Media: Hypothetical Case Studies	419	(20)
Case Studies	419	(1)
Framing the Gay and Lesbian Issue for the Public Square	419	(3)
Television News and Stereotypical Symbols	422	(3)
Gender Wars and Sexual Stereotyping	425	(2)
The Disabled Athlete in Television Fiction	427	(3)
The American Indians' Battle with the Major Leagues	430	(4)
The Television Teacher and Stereotyping at Central High	434	(3)
Notes	437	(2)
Epilogue	439	(6)
A Couple of Lessons from This Text	439	(1)
The State of Media Ethics: Mixed Signals	440	(1)
The Newest Frontier: The Ethical Challenges of Cyberspace	441	(1)
Toward Greater Ethical Awareness: What Can Be Done?	441	(4)
Appendix 1 Society of Professional Journalists: Code of Ethics	445	(2)
Appendix 2 American Advertising Federation: Advertising Principles of American Business	447	(1)
Appendix 3 Public Relations Society of America: Code of Ethics	448	(5)
Selected Bibliography	453	(3)
Index	456