Ethics in Media Communications Cases and Controversies (with InfoTrac)

by Day, Louis A.

• ISBN13: 9780534637149
• ISBN10: 0534637140
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-03-01
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

Part One: FOUNDATION AND PRINCIPLES. 1. Ethics and Moral Development. 2. Ethics and Society. 3. Ethics and Moral Reasoning. Part Two: CASES IN MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS. 4. Truth and Honesty in Media Communications. 5. The Media and Privacy: A Delicate Balance. 6. Confidentiality and the Public Interest. 7. Conflicts of Interest. 8. Economic Pressures and Social Responsibility. 9. The Media and Antisocial Behavior. 10. Morally Offensive Content: Freedom and Responsibility. 11. Media Content and Juveniles: Special Ethical Concerns. 12. Media Practitioners and Social Justice. 13. Stereotypes in Media Communications. Appendixes.

Table of Contents

Preface	xv
Introduction	xvii
PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS AND PRINCIPLES	1	(76)
Ethics and Moral Development	2	(21)
The Study of Ethics: An Overview	2	(5)
The Three Branches of Ethics	4	(1)
Ethical Communication	5	(2)
The Value of Ethics Education	7	(3)
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	12	(1)
The Formation of Ethical Values and Attitudes	13	(5)
Defining Values and Attitudes	13	(2)
Sources of Values and Attitudes	15	(2)
Personal Values and Professional Ethics	17	(1)
The Ethical Dilemma: Conflict of Values	18	(5)
Summary	20	(1)
Notes	21	(2)
Ethics and Society	23	(31)
The Need for a System of Ethics	23	(5)
Society and Moral Anchors	23	(3)
The Functions of the Media within the Ethical System	26	(2)
Requirements of a System of Ethics	28	(2)
Shared Values	28	(1)
Wisdom	29	(1)
Justice	29	(1)
Freedom	29	(1)
Accountability	30	(1)
The Social Compact and Moral Duties	30	(3)
The Two Levels of Moral Duty	30	(1)
Deciding among Moral Duties	31	(2)
The Nexus of Law and Ethics	33	(2)
Institutional Autonomy and Social Responsibility	35	(7)
The Libertarian View	36	(1)
Social Responsibility	37	(5)
The Challenges of the Information Age	42	(3)
Convergence: New Media and Old Media	42	(1)
The Ethics of Cyberspace: Old Wine in New Bottles	43	(2)
The Media as Socially Responsible Institutions	45	(9)
Codes of Conduct	46	(1)
The Ombudsman System	47	(2)
News Councils	49	(1)
Summary	50	(1)
Notes	51	(3)
Ethics and Moral Reasoning	54	(23)
Moral Reasoning and Ethical Decision Making	54	(1)
The Context of Moral Reasoning	55	(1)
The Philosophical Foundations of Moral Theory	56	(1)
The Greek Connection	56	(1)
Ethical Perspectives and Traditions	57	(4)
Care-Based Ethics	57	(1)
Kant and Moral Duty	57	(1)
The Appeal of Utilitarianism	58	(1)
Ethics as a Social Contract	59	(1)
Feminist Ethics	60	(1)
The Rise of Relativism	60	(1)
Ethical Theories in Moral Reasoning	61	(4)
Deontological (Duty-Based) Theories	61	(1)
Teleological (Consequence-Based) Theories	62	(2)
Virtue Theories: Aristotle's Golden Mean	64	(1)
Critical Thinking in Moral Reasoning	65	(1)
A Model of Moral Reasoning	66	(3)
The Situation Definition	66	(1)
Analysis of the Situation	67	(1)
Decision	68	(1)
A Sample Case Study	69	(8)
Situation Definition	69	(1)
Analysis	70	(3)
Decision	73	(1)
Summary	73	(1)
Notes	74	(3)
PART TWO: CASES IN MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS	77	(372)
Truth and Honesty in Media Communications	78	(54)
A World of Limited Truth	78	(2)
Truth as a Fundamental Value	80	(2)
The Importance of Truth	82	(2)
Media Practitioners and the Truth--Falsehood Dichotomy	84	(17)
Truth in Journalism	84	(12)
Where Truth and Fiction Collide: The Docudrama	96	(2)
Truth in Advertising and Public Relations	98	(2)
Public Relations and Journalism: A Love--Hate Relationship	100	(1)
Intellectual Dishonesty	101	(2)
Truth Telling and Approaches to Moral Reasoning	103	(1)
Truth and Deception: Hypothetical Case Studies	104	(1)
Case Studies	105	(1)
Undercover Advertising in the Public Square	105	(2)
Crisis Management on the Web and the Framing of Truth	107	(4)
Hidden Cameras and the Journalist as Social Conscience	111	(4)
Political Communication on the Net: Is Voter Targeting Responsible Behavior?	115	(2)
The Careless Chaperons and the Unbridled Teens	117	(2)
Digital Photography and the Manipulation of Reality	119	(3)
Tainted Research and the Right to Know	122	(3)
Vow of Silence	125	(7)
Notes	128	(4)
The Media and Privacy: A Delicate Balance	132	(46)
Ethics and Privacy: The Search for Meaning	132	(1)
The Value of Privacy	133	(4)
The Emergence of Privacy as a Moral Value	134	(2)
Privacy as a Legal Concept	136	(1)
The Need for an Ethics of Privacy	137	(3)
Basic Principles	137	(2)
Data Mining and Privacy in Cyberspace	139	(1)
Privacy and the Journalist: Some Special Problem Areas	140	(13)
Contagious Diseases and Disabilities	141	(1)
Homosexuality	142	(1)
Sex Crimes	143	(2)
Juvenile Offenders	145	(1)
Using Children as Sources	146	(1)
Suicides	147	(2)
Secret Cameras and Recorders	149	(1)
Accidents and Personal Tragedies	150	(1)
Computers and Database Journalism	151	(2)
The Search for Journalistic Guidelines	153	(1)
Advertising and Privacy	154	(1)
Privacy: Hypothetical Case Studies	155	(1)
Case Studies	155	(1)
News Values versus Privacy: The Case of ``Designer Baby'' Anna Marie	155	(3)
The Supreme Court Candidate's Untimely Withdrawal	158	(3)
The Pregnant Place Kicker	161	(3)
The Massacre at Langdale High and Laura's Secret Diary	164	(3)
Electronic Billboards on the Freeway and Motorist Privacy	167	(3)
The Right to Die with Dignity	170	(2)
Cyberspace Data Mining as a Public Relations Tool	172	(6)
Notes	175	(3)
Confidentiality and the Public Interest	178	(33)
The Principle of Confidentiality	178	(3)
The Justification for Confidentiality	181	(1)
Seeking Disclosure: the Moral Position of the Actor	182	(2)
Confidentiality in Journalism: Some Special Concerns	184	(3)
The Case for and against Confidentiality	184	(3)
A Delicate Balance: Confidentiality and Competing Interests	187	(1)
Changes in the Reporter--Source Relationship	187	(1)
The Principle of Confidentiality: Hypothetical Cases	188	(1)
Case Studies	189	(1)
Guarding a Secret about a Military Hero	189	(4)
A Public Relations Challenge: Fraud in a University's Basketball Program	193	(3)
Allegations of Sexual Harassment: Newsworthy or Political Dirty Tricks	196	(2)
Gender Norming and the Admiral's Public Relations Problem	198	(4)
Attorney--Client Privilege and the Public's Right to Know	202	(3)
Client Confidentiality in Radio Sales	205	(1)
The Student Newspaper and Faculty Evaluations	206	(5)
Notes	209	(2)
Conflicts of Interest	211	(36)
Conflicts of Interest: Real and Imagined	211	(2)
Recognizing Conflicts: The Most Troublesome Terrain	213	(12)
Conflicting Relationships	213	(6)
Conflicting Public Participation	219	(4)
Vested Interests and Hidden Agendas	223	(2)
Approaches to Dealing with Conflicts of Interest	225	(1)
Conflicts of Interest: Hypothetical Case Studies	225	(1)
Case Studies	226	(1)
The PR Practitioner as Political Activist	226	(2)
DNA Testing: A Journalist's Call for Justice	228	(3)
The NABJ and Divided Loyalties	231	(2)
A Witness to Genocide	233	(3)
A Television Station's Conflicting Messages	236	(2)
Campus Journalists and the Tobacco Wars	238	(3)
Switching Sides in Public Relations	241	(6)
Notes	244	(3)
Economic Pressures and Social Responsibility	247	(35)
Economic Interests versus Moral Obligations	247	(1)
Concentration of Media Ownership	248	(3)
The Alliance of Mass Media and Marketing	251	(4)
The Role of Advertising	255	(4)
The Media's Lifeline: The Ethical Challenges of Commercial Sponsorship	255	(3)
The Challenges of Cyberspace	258	(1)
Product Placements	259	(1)
Economic Pressures: Hypothetical Case Studies	260	(1)
Case Studies	260	(1)
Sports Reporting: Who Controls the Content?	260	(3)
Web-Based Ads and the Search Engine's Search for Financial Stability	263	(3)
Impotency Drugs and the Promotion of Sexual Pleasure	266	(3)
The Alumni Magazine: Journalism or Public Relations?	269	(3)
Product Placement in Prime Time	272	(2)
Slain Civil Rights Heroes as Commercial Props	274	(2)
The Junket as a Public Relations Tool	276	(6)
Notes	278	(4)
The Media and Antisocial Behavior	282	(37)
The Influence of the Media on Behavior	282	(1)
Media Lessons and Moral Responsibility	283	(10)
Antisocial Acts and Professional Obligations	283	(1)
The Media's Influence on Antisocial Behavior	284	(9)
The Media and Civility	293	(4)
Uncivil Behavior	293	(1)
Hate Speech	294	(2)
Dirty Tricks	296	(1)
The Media and Antisocial Behavior: Hypothetical Case Studies	297	(1)
Case Studies	297	(1)
Animals as Mediated Entertainment: Property or Moral Beings?	297	(3)
Online Ads for AIDS Drugs and the Promotion of Unsafe Sex	300	(3)
Investigating Child Pornography: Limits of the First Amendment	303	(2)
Hiring the Criminal Element for Nation Building: Laytel's PR Problem	305	(3)
Sports Trash Talk and the End of Innocence	308	(2)
Alcohol Ads in the Campus Newspaper	310	(3)
Online Links to Terrorist Home Pages	313	(6)
Notes	316	(3)
Morally Offensive Content: Freedom and Responsibility	319	(34)
Society's Surveillance of Offensive Material	319	(1)
Pornography, Indecency, and Moral Responsibility	320	(5)
Offensive Speech	325	(1)
A Matter of Taste: Shocking and Disturbing Visuals	326	(3)
The Lingering Legacy of Blasphemy	329	(1)
The Case for Moral Limits	330	(1)
The Harm Principle	330	(1)
The Paternalism Principle	330	(1)
The Moralism Principle	331	(1)
The Offense Principle	331	(1)
The Case against Moral Limits	331	(1)
The Search for Standards	332	(1)
Morally Offensive Content: Hypothetical Case Studies	333	(1)
Case Studies	333	(1)
The College Newspaper Columnist as Resident ``Sexpert''	333	(3)
A Condom Crusade Takes on the Vatican	336	(2)
Live! From Death Row!	338	(3)
The Resurrection Conspiracy: Blasphemy or Artistic Freedom?	341	(3)
Cyberporn and Free Speech	344	(2)
The Reparations Ad and the Limits of Free Speech	346	(3)
The Controversial Wedding Photo	349	(4)
Notes	351	(2)
Media Content and Juveniles: Special Ethical Concerns	353	(28)
Juveniles and Cultural Paternalism	353	(2)
Influences on the Juvenile Audience	355	(6)
Movies	355	(2)
Television	357	(1)
Advertising	358	(3)
The Juvenile Audience: Hypothetical Case Studies	361	(1)
Case Studies	362	(1)
Madison Avenue's Youngest Consumers	362	(2)
The Suspended Football Players	364	(3)
Nottoway Landing's Cult Following among Young Female Viewers	367	(3)
Teen Therapy on the Airwaves	370	(3)
Advertising in the Public Schools	373	(2)
Video Games and the Promotion of Incivility	375	(6)
Notes	378	(3)
Media Practitioners and Social Justice	381	(36)
Social Justice as a Dominant Moral Value	381	(1)
The Principle of Formal Justice	382	(1)
Media Practitioners and Social Justice: Two Views	382	(13)
The Libertarian Concept of Justice	383	(1)
The Egalitarian Concept and Social Responsibility	384	(1)
The Mainstream: A Philosophical Blend	385	(10)
Social Justice and Ethical Decision Making	395	(1)
The Media and Social Justice: Hypothetical Cases	396	(1)
Case Studies	396	(1)
The Jewish Reporter: Religion and the Workplace	396	(3)
Jury Deliberations as Reality TV	399	(3)
Diversity in the Public Relations Workplace: Race and Social Justice	402	(4)
The African American Publisher and Divided Loyalties	406	(2)
International Public Relations, Morality, and Social Justice	408	(3)
Environmental Justice and Media Access	411	(6)
Notes	414	(3)
Stereotypes in Media Communications	417	(32)
Stereotypes and Value Formation	417	(3)
The Role of Stereotypes in Media Content	420	(9)
Racial and Ethnic Minorities	421	(3)
Female Stereotypes	424	(1)
Sexual Orientation and Stereotypical Depictions	425	(2)
Older People	427	(1)
People with Disabilities	428	(1)
People with Mental Illness	428	(1)
Strategies for Confronting Media Stereotyping	429	(1)
Stereotypes and the Media: Hypothetical Case Studies	430	(1)
Case Studies	430	(1)
Dirty Laundry and the Editorial Cartoon	430	(3)
Framing the Gay and Lesbian Issue for the Public Square	433	(3)
Gender Wars and Sexual Stereotyping	436	(2)
The Disabled Athlete in Television Fiction	438	(4)
The American Indians' Battle with the Major Leagues	442	(7)
Notes	446	(3)
Epilogue	449	(6)
A Couple of Lessons from This Text	449	(1)
The State of Media Ethics: Mixed Signals	450	(1)
The Newest Frontier: The Ethical Challenges of Cyberspace	451	(1)
Toward Greater Ethical Awareness: What Can Be Done?	452	(3)
Notes	453	(2)
APPENDIX 1 Society of Professional Journalists: Code of Ethics	455	(2)
APPENDIX 2 American Advertising Federation: Advertising Principles of American Business	457	(1)
APPENDIX 3 Public Relations Society of America: Code of Ethics	458	(5)
Selected Bibliography	463	(4)
Index	467