Media_NERD Blog: My lips are sealed...well maybe...

Why yes Ron the glory of America is to make your own choices, however shouldn’t it be your right to be given accurate information from the media as well?

This video is from the NBC show Parks and Recreation. It tells the story of a Parks & Rec department and the problems they face on a daily basis. Now the clip above is from an episode titled “Sweetums.”

In this episode the town of Pawnee has decided to allow the popular candy corporation Sweetums to control the food stands in the town’s parks. When the corporation claims they have created a new health bar that would provide citizens and their children with a healthy snack, the department decides to try the bars themselves.

Characters Leslie and Ann soon realize that the bars are not healthy at all, and in fact are extremely unhealthy. The Sweetums corporation has been lying about its healthy benefits to not only the Parks dept., but the consumers.

So you are probably wondering what this example from a fictional TV show has to do with media ethics?

Well, every day media professionals are faced with ethical dilemmas. Whether they are a reporter and faced with releasing secret information, or a public relations firm backing a possibly harmful product, media professionals must make ethical decisions daily.

The big problem today’s media faces is that many media professionals do not realize the impact they have on the general public. “Profitability and deadline pressures, not ethical values, too often end up defining the quality of media content,” (Plaisance 234). So the question becomes, when faced with an ethical dilemma are you making the right decision?

The biggest mistake people make when dealing with an ethical dilemma is not analyzing the impact their decision might make. “Ethics addresses individuals actions or behaviors, but also deals with the big picture,” (Plaisance 21). People sometimes forget to take others into account as well as the many possible outcomes of a situation.


"I don't know why these bars are so good" (Click Me)

Character Leslie Knope has figured out that “nutriyums” were bad for one’s health. She has realized the corporation that will be sponsoring the food stands in her department are not only putting the children of Pawnee at risk, but also have been lying about the health bars. What should she do?

If I were Leslie Knope I would first look at the stakeholders in the situation. The people invested in the situation are Leslie and the Parks Department, Sweetums, The City of Pawnee Government, and the Citizens of Pawnee or the Consumers.

I would begin with bringing the knowledge I have gained to a superior. I would let my boss know my findings and perhaps ask some advice on how to deal with the solution. Leslie tells her superior Ron about the unhealthy findings of “nutriyums.” Ron does not feels the “nutriyums” pose such an issue to cause a problem and tells Leslie to just let it go. Leslie does not agree.

So what should she do next? My thoughts would be to go to another individual or professional for advice. Leslie decides to take her information with Ann (a nurse) to a public forum.

So what would be the downside of her sharing this information?

The Parks and Rec department could lose the sponsorship from Sweetums. Leslie could cause a strained professional relationship between herself and her coworkers. There is even a possibility that Leslie could cause strain with the public for not looking into this issue originally.

Leslie’s situation is one that I think every media professional will face during their careers. While a career in the media might provide more of an impact than sugary snacks in the town of Pawnee, the basics of how to find the best solution are the same.

However one has to remember that even if you inform the public, you might not always get the response you hope for –