Lecture on the Ethics of Journalism

Monday's lecture exploring the importance of ethics in journalism and the difficulties that can arise when different people hold varying opinions on what is ethical. An advertisement or an article can be undeniably in bad taste but can still be considered ethical and the same applies for respectable works that are actually unethical.

Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the concept of ethicality is really a matter of opinion, as we ask who is the rightful judge of what is good or bad, ethical or unethical, right from wrong, in good taste or simply tacky?

The example of advertising was used as the basis for discussion on the subject, as advertisers are notoriously known for crossing lines and causing controversy in an effort to sell their merchandise.

Code of Ethics exist in all professions, from medicine, law, education, science and advertising, providing a moral and ethical guideline for members of the profession to adhere to. With regards to advertising, certain advertisements can only be shown during certain time slots (to avoid exposing children to inappropriate or mature content) or at certain locations (banned from certain countries who disapprove of content).

I remember the controversy that the Mentos Ice Chewing Gum commercial caused, which depicted a man whose nipples hardened and extended after chewing some of the ice gum. He walked around shirtless and was able to operate the lift and throw a disk with his erect nipples.

Advertisements from beer companies are also often inappropriate and somewhat sexist as they cater to a masculine demographic that is concerned with drinking, mate hood and the objectification of women. Included below is a commercial for Heineken beer which exemplifies these qualities:



Controversy is a useful tool in advertising, especially if you believe that there is no such thing as bad publicity. An advert by windsor shoes that was was sexually orientated provided 43 million dollars of free publicity for the company when they refused to take it down, generating interest and consequently selling their product because of their lack of ethicality.

The three ethical theories pertaining to advertising concern DEONTOLOGY, CONSEQUENTIALISM and VIRTUE.

DEONTOLOGY

• All ethical codes are deontological
• The theory is concerned with rules, principles and duties 
• It operates on the premise that you will do the right thing by following these rules
• Some duties of journalism include the duty to inform, report the truth, operate within the law, respect privacy, gather information with integrity and respect the right to reply by those being reported on

CONSEQUENTIALISM

• The belief that an action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favourable than unfavourable
• Consequences of some good should be a part of the outcome
• Never mind how we got there
• The end may justify the means
• The greatest good for the greatest number of people
• This theory is validating collateral damage as long as a greater goal is achieved and for this reason it is very problematic as I am sure those who are counted amongst the collateral hold very different opinions as to who is being benefitted

VIRTUE ETHICS

• Goodness comes from good habits of characters
• These habits are virtues such as courage, justice, temperance and prudence (virtues which hark back to the Greeks such as Aristotle)
• These habits of character are the golden mean of behaviour and which character should be measured against
• They entail trust, honesty and respect - which are good qualities for a journalist to have
• Such habits of character are developed only through experience and engagement with the world
• For example, courage is the mean between rashness and cowardice