Ethics in Media Communications : Cases and Controversies (with Infotrac) [With Infotrac]

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