Throughout this class we have
gone over many different theories and principles related to media ethics. The
10 principles/theories/models of behavior I chose are not exclusively ones I
did not know, but they are the ones I consider most important when looking for
a job in media production and research.
1.
Before I took this class I knew that there were
rules and repercussions
for dealing with false advertising, but I had never heard of the TARES
test. In the text, Philip Patterson and Lee Wilkins cite several different
authors in explaining what this test does, but from my research Sherry Baker
and David L. Martinson have the most information in this particular subject.
The TARES test has guidelines that advertisers should follow when creating
advertising a product to possible consumers. TARES is an acronym that stands
for the following:
T: stands for truthfulness
which means that advertisers should be able to back up the claims they make in
their advertisements and that their message should not be obscured.
A: stands for the authenticity
which advertisers should be doing this for the right reason, with the right
attitude. In this part of the test authenticity and sincerity are closely
linked together.
R: stands for the respect that
advertisers should treat possible consumers with. Patterson says that while
they are creating ad campaigns advertisers should ask, "Am I willing to
take full, open and personal responsibility for the content of this ad?"
E: stands for equity.
This part of the test requires the advertisers to create content in a way that
people can understand what the ad is about. In other words, viewers of the
advertising are not required to have Ivy League educations, or specialize in
the area the product is being advertised for.
S: asks if the ad is socially
responsible. With so many people having so many thoughts and opinion, this
is the most difficult part of the TARES test (p. 56-59).
2.
The next two principles I have selected are
areas that I did not necessarily realize had a place in journalism. The idea of
loyalty is a very important one to me, and one that may get overlooked when it
comes to sports journalism. In 1908 Josiah Royce wrote The Philosophy of Loyalty, and said that loyalty is a choice, and
that loyalty can be learned as somebody is going through their moral
development. Loyalty can not necessarily be used as a single ethical guideline,
but it should line up with community and reader loyalty. While Royce's concept
of loyalty is considered simplistic it's a good starting point to discuss the
idea of loyalty in media ethics (p. 82-83).
3.
To better build on the idea of loyalty and how
to navigate all of its intricacies and shared loyalties, we are introduced to
Ralph Potter and the Potter Box. The Potter Box gives us four steps to follow
when we are reporting and need to make an ethical judgment. The first step is
to understand the facts that we have, then to consider the values, followed by
the philosophical principles, which will bring us to where we made some conflicting
ethical loyalties which we must evaluate before publishing our work. The most
difficult steps, when we consider the values as well as the philosophical
principles. My values, or morals, may be very different from the people that
I'm working for, or reporting to. It is very important to pay attention to your
audience and to strike a balance between these subjects in order to stay loyal to
the subject and story you must tell.
4.
Objectivity is an area that seems to be more and
more of a lost art in journalism. In the text, objectivity is brought to our
attention in the chapter that Patterson and Wilkins are discussing truth.
Reporting with objectivity means that you’re reporting without any perceived
bias and without any agenda other than reporting on the facts and subjects in
the story (p. 23).
5.
I think it's safe to say that most people get
into journalism because they want to report on subjects that are important for
the public to know. This could be a
problem for a reporter who is very passionate about the subject if they are
letting their emotions dictate their writing. In these times it's important to
maintain rationality when reporting on the subject. Rationality requires the
reporter to maintain consistency with the facts, be aware of the beliefs and
values of the subject they're reporting on, and to be aware of their
surroundings. Without rationality the story could be one-sided, or read more
like an editorial than a fact-based story (p. 4-6).
6. Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative is a
theory that resonated strongly with me because of its focus on the action that
would be the reporting in the media. The categorical imperative is similar to
the Bible's golden rule that you should "do unto others as they would do
unto you." Patterson and Wilkins summarize the categorical imperative when
they said, "Kant’s ethical theory is based on the notion that it is in the
act itself, rather than the person who acts, where moral force resides." I
understand this to mean that I should cover the story and report it the way I
would expect reporters to cover me and my story. I would add that it should
mean that the reporter should never be bigger than their story (p. 9-10).
7.
The argument of privacy vs. secrecy is a hotly
contested one in today's day and age. Secrecy implies that we are hiding
something when in actuality we would prefer to not have people digging through
our personal information. One of the more interesting concepts in privacy I
read about was Louis W. Hodges circles of intimacy.
In this concept the idea is that
you share vital information with the people closest to the center circle if
they share vital information with you. The closer to the center your
relationship falls under the higher the trust you have with this person, or
these people (p. 114-116).
8.
Communitarianism is an idea that takes what we
know from classical theories, but focuses more on the reactions in the public
when the original theories are put to use. As it is true with many of the theories
we've gone over, communitarianism requires that the person doing the reporting
identifies the ideas and values that are prevalent within the community and
reports truthfully and accurately with those considerations. It also must be
said that in order for communitarianism to work the reporter must keep current
on the political and economic climate of its community. Without the knowledge
of modern politics it is possible for shoddy reporting to lead to history repeating
itself on small and large scales. When reporting on issues that have arisen in
the past, successful communitarianism will have taken the events in the past
and allow for positive transformation within the community (p. 12-15).
9.
In the 1940s the Hutchins Commission came up
with five functions that the media should abide by in order to function in
society. The five functions are as follows:
1. To provide a truthful,
comprehensive and intelligent account of the day’s events in a context that
gives them meaning.
2. To serve as a forum for
exchange of comment and criticism.
3. To provide a representative
picture of constituent groups in society.
4. To present and clarify the goals and values
of society.
5. To provide citizens with full access to the
day’s intelligence.
On its face,
the social responsibility theory of the press is what we dream about when we
discuss what we expect from the news media. However, taking a look at what we
are told changes based on which news outlet we decide to watch. The ideas the
Hutchins Commission came up with are flawed because of the money used to fund
these news outfits. These ideas are reliant on the news outlets not bending under
the power of the corporations that own them and sign the checks. The social
responsibility theory of the press needs the press to be its own entity to work
properly. Unfortunately, we live in a time where the corporation with the
deepest pockets controls is considered news to those without money.
10.
When we are faced with ethical decisions Sissela
Bok created a framework that requires the person who is making the decision to
recognize two premises before further analyzing the issue using three steps. The
first premise is that we must empathize with the people that are involved in
the decision and the ability to maintain social trust is a fundamental goal. Keeping
these in mind the first step in analyzing an ethical decision is to ask
yourself how you feel about the action. Bok says to consult your conscience "about
the ‘rightness’ of an action." After this consultation we should seek
expert advice to see if there are any alternatives to the issue that is creating
the ethical problem. The final step is to have a conversation with the parties that
is creating the issue. The final step, however, is not always an option in
resolving the dilemma. Bok’s framework is useful in many aspects of life, not
just when it comes to deciding what's going to make the front page, or the 11
o'clock news (p. 4-5).
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