Ethics in Media
Assignment 3 – Minor Essay
Breit argues “Ethics affect how people view right and wrong, good and bad, what is responsible and the effectiveness of accountability”. Why can ethics be problematic in media and communication industries and what solutions are viable?
Ethics is a multi-dimensional concept which is difficult to define. One definition put forward by Breit (2007, p. 308) emphasises ethics as ‘the process of decision-making aimed at making the right choices’ and how ‘people view right and wrong’. Despite the myriad of theories that have been postulated throughout history, ethics in media and communication industries continues to come under scrutiny since the notion of converging ethics into communication industries is essentially an oxymoron. This is because the act of public persuasion can be perceived as inherently unethical and it is therefore impossible to have ‘ethical communication’ (Demetrious, 2010). In order to counteract this discrepancy, a range of theories have been developed that can help media and communication practitioners develop ethical competencies, without compromising their duty toward their occupation and workplace.
Why are ethics important?
Most public communicators, who deal with powerful technology that reach mass audiences, are confronted with ethical decision making as an implicit part of their professional practice (Demetrious, 2010). Therefore, it is essentially important to pay attention to ethics because the mass media has the potential to affect and influence copious amounts of people.
How can ethics be problematic?
Furthermore, many media and communication industries are not simply neutral purveyors of information. The information these industries release is often subjective and biased, and so may not necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of the wider community. Hence, media and communication industries are often, creators and shapers of culture and are institutionalized agents of acculturation. Thus, if
Breit argues “Ethics affect how people view right and wrong, good and bad, what is responsible and the effectiveness of accountability”. Why can ethics be problematic in media and communication industries and what solutions are viable?
Ethics is a multi-dimensional concept which is difficult to define. One definition put forward by Breit (2007, p. 308) emphasises ethics as ‘the process of decision-making aimed at making the right choices’ and how ‘people view right and wrong’. Despite the myriad of theories that have been postulated throughout history, ethics in media and communication industries continues to come under scrutiny since the notion of converging ethics into communication industries is essentially an oxymoron. This is because the act of public persuasion can be perceived as inherently unethical and it is therefore impossible to have ‘ethical communication’ (Demetrious, 2010). In order to counteract this discrepancy, a range of theories have been developed that can help media and communication practitioners develop ethical competencies, without compromising their duty toward their occupation and workplace.
Why are ethics important?
Most public communicators, who deal with powerful technology that reach mass audiences, are confronted with ethical decision making as an implicit part of their professional practice (Demetrious, 2010). Therefore, it is essentially important to pay attention to ethics because the mass media has the potential to affect and influence copious amounts of people.
How can ethics be problematic?
Furthermore, many media and communication industries are not simply neutral purveyors of information. The information these industries release is often subjective and biased, and so may not necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of the wider community. Hence, media and communication industries are often, creators and shapers of culture and are institutionalized agents of acculturation. Thus, if