The Ethics of Media

It’s been almost six years since I decided I wanted to work in the media. The summer before my freshmen year I decided that I wanted my career to be a media professional, however I did not fully understand the responsibility that came with such a career path.

Working in the media means one can choose a concentration of newspapers, magazines, websites, television, film, and books. While each of these mediums are different in the ways they are distributed and disseminated by their given audiences, they all equally hold the power to create quite an impact.

After graduating college, I decided to move forward with a career in television. I worked for a popular television company that was quite the resume builder, however it was a company that strongly valued secrecy.

Before a person even began their career at this company they had to sign a several page confidentiality statement about the inner-workings they might see or hear at this business.

I found myself in constant ethical scenarios about situations I had see and heard. I would encounter secrets and rumors that if released to the media could cause large amounts of damage. I had never experienced a job like this one, but soon after I realized that many companies, corporations, and even educational institutions, have their secrets.

 One example would be the story of “Ed Dante” from The Chronicle Review. This article, written under a pen name to protect the individual, describes a business in which students pay writers large amounts of money to create custom papers for their college work. While the idea of turning in a paper that is not one’s own work is blatantly cheating, the question remains: who is in the wrong? At first it is easy to point the finger at the writer. He is the one aiding the students, and perhaps if he were not supplying the service then the students wouldn’t cheat. However on the other hand, the writer claims that it is the educational system itself that is causing the problem to exist in the first place with its importance on grading. So is what the writer doing really unethical?

Luckily through my college career I took a Philosophy 101 course so I have an idea of how to handle ethical situations. I also think I have a pretty good hold on what is right and wrong to help me with my ethical decision-making. However, I also think it is always beneficial to gain more knowledge on ethics, specifically because I am in a professional field that supplies the public with information.

  In Media Ethics:Issues & Cases, I reviewed several different ethical theories including: Bok’s Model, Aristotle’s Golden Mean, Utilitarianism, the Pluralistic Theory of Value, and Communitarianism. While I have studied many of these theories in great depth, it was interesting to study others. I find that I agree with many of them, but find that the Golden Mean and Utilitarianism really stood out to me. I find that I am always living by  “One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself,” while at the same time looking for the best solution for all involved in a problem.

•  How does one make a decision about an ethical problem in a short timeframe?

• If someone in the media makes the wrong decision, what is the best way to fix it?

Referenced Texts:

• Media Ethics: Issues & Cases
• "The Shadow Scholar" The Chronicle Review