Ethics in Communication and media practice

Note: exam will require us to identify what kind of ethical framework should be used/was used based on
certain media cases

Sensitive photos
- Exercise respect and sensitivity
- Publish photo not in color, inside page and not front page
- Don’t expose faces of minors

There are no hard and fast rules in ethics

- Different organizations have different codes of ethics
- Ethical codes are personal

Green light / red light ethical rules

- When stating ethical guidelines, green light ethics state in the positive
- Not all of them do this.

Ethical journalism vs profitable journalism

Ethics: action is required

- Set of moral principles, a code often unwritten, that guides a person’s conduct
- “How we meet the challenge of doing the right thing when it will cost more than what we want to
pay” - Josephson Institute of Ethics
- The ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil, propriety from impropriety
- The commitment to do what is good, right, proper

Values and Choice

- A person’s values shapes how he/she will react when faced with a choice
- Deeply held convictions and beliefs about what is effective, desirable, or morally right
- Influenced by experience
- Ethical precepts are transferred through:
- Friends and family
- Role models
- Social institutions → church, school, home

Ethical Values
- Directly related to beliefs about what is right and proper: honesty, promise-keeping, fairness,
compassion, respect for privacy
Non Ethical Values
- Pertain to desire, wealth, status, happiness (not to moral duty)

Pursuing nonethical values is not morally wrong.

Ethical dilemma - happens in situation wherein a person’s ethical values conflict

Ethical dilemma - ethical vs ethical values
False ethical dilemma - ethical vs nonethical values

Ethical Framework
Categorical Imperative [Immanuel Kant]
- deontological
- Black and white, no grey
- Right for one, right for all
Principle of Utility [John Stuart Mill, Jemery Bentham]
- teleological
- Mill & bentham
- What is right is what will benefit the greater number of people
- Maximizes value, minimizes loss
- Calculate consequences
Principle of the Golden Mean [Aristotle]
- Moral virtue lies between two extremes: moderation is the key - Aristotle
Principle of self-determination
- Human beings have unconditional value: they are not means to a goal.
Criterion of Reversibility
- Do unto others what you want them to do unto you.

Deontology
- Rule-based, absolutist
- Duty-based thinking
- Strength: simplicity
- Weakness: rigidity
- Disregards the possible consequences as long as one sticks to doing his/her duty

Teleology
- Ends-based, consequences
- Utilitarianism, consequentialism
- “Telos” is Greek for “end”
- End justifies means
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Strength: flexibility, can weigh benefits and harm
- Weakness: flexibility, can be manipulated by self-serving rationalization
Golden Mean
- Virtue ethics, virtue of moderation
- Avoids extremes through middle-of-the-road compass

Golden Rule
- Rule of reversibility
- Values restraint and self-discipline to avoid inflicting harm
- Self-determination by Judeo-Christian tradition
- Love: moral base of conduct.
- Weakness: not sufficient when there are multiple competing interests

Ethical Issues
Plagiarism and fabrication
- Plagiarism - taking credit for phrases, statements, photographs, or even whole works someone
else created.
- Fabrication - making things up and passing them up as genuine.
- Stolen words and invented facts
- Claiming someone’s work as your own
- We can also plagiarize ourselves

Plagiarism isn’t a crime,

- it is a serious academic offense
- But currently is not a crime
- Some lawyers argue it is fraud, and should be a crime since fraud = deception
- Theft is a crime, and plagiarism can be theft.

Plagiarism Spectrum:
(1) Using a source too closely when paraphrasing
(2) Copying work from a source without citation

Privacy
- Sickness
- Victims of violence, rape, etc.

Gender Issues
- Bias against women

Corruption in media
- Nepotism
Other issues
- Hidden motives and sponsors
- Misinterpretation
- Conflicts of interest
- Checkbook journalism
- Withholding information
- Lying to get the truth

Standard for undercover reporting

- Info is vital to public interest
- No other way to get the story
- Deception is disclosed to the audience

Media Education and Literacy

Mass media - broadcasts
Devcom - narrowcasts
Mass media - remote mass audience
Devcom - audience with us

“Media literacy”
- Critical thinking, analytical skills, self expression, wise and effective use of media

People construct their own reality

Media can be tapped to increase beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviors.

Construction of message is important.

Media education
- The process of teaching and learning about media
Media literacy
- Knowledge and skills acquired from media education.

“Media literacy is the process of accessing, critically analyzing media messages and creating
messages using media tools.”

Media literacy resulting from media education involves the ability to interpret and produce media

Media and Politics

The difference between politics and governance is process

“Politics and media are inseparable. It is only the politicians and the media men that are incompatible”
- Walter Cronkite
Philippine Politics
- Culture of patronage
- Sense of “belonging”
- Premium on persons and not on ideology

Media as kingmaker
- Estrada
- “Estrada was the precursor of a new trend, the personification of the power of media over
memory, of mass appeal over muddled, middle-class idealism. He was the shape of things to
come.”
- Earning “pogi” points through media
- “Idol” status
- Endorsements
- Regular media programs
- Circle of celebrity friends

Why we elect bad leaders

The lessons we don’t learn
- That a popular leader is not necessarily a good leader
- We cannot expect honest people who join government to ultimately prevail over a corrupt
system
- There are no hazards to good governance
- We must work hard to establish durable institutions and the culture of honesty Commented [1]: ??

Press Freedom
Philippine media
From the freest and most rambunctious press in Asia
to
The most dangerous place for journalists next to Iraq

Press Freedom
- Is tied to the people’s right to know
- The right of people to information on matters of public concern
- Not a matter of absolute right because it is subject to such limitations as may be provided by law

“It is for the courts to determine in a case by case basis whether the matter at issue is of interest or
importance, as it relates to or affects the public”

Laws restricting access to information

Decriminalizing libel
- There is a movement towards this, as libel is being used as a weapon
Culture of impunity
 - “The way by which certain societies ignore, permit, or even encourage various forms of violence
against journalists, and letting such acts go unpunished”
- Roots: weakness of Philippine justice system.

Media ownership
- Philippine constitution says ownership of mass media should be limited to Filipino citizens