Ethics
definition
eth·ics (et̸h′iks)
noun
the study of standards of conduct and moral judgment; moral philosophy
a treatise on this study
the system or code of morals of a person, religion, group, profession, etc.
Media Ethics Case Studies
Media Ethics Bibliography
Media Ethics Magazine
The ethics of journalism is one of the most well-defined branches of media ethics, primarily because it is frequently taught in schools of journalism.
Journalistic ethics tends to dominate media ethics, sometimes almost to the exclusion of other areas.
Topics covered by journalism ethics include:
News manipulation.
News can manipulate and be manipulated. Governments and corporations may attempt to manipulate news media; governments, for example, by censorship, and corporations by share ownership. The methods of manipulation are subtle and many. Manipulation may be voluntary or involuntary. Those being manipulated may not be aware of this. See: news propaganda.
Truth.
Truth may conflict with many other values.
Public interest.
Revelation of military secrets and other sensitive government information may be contrary to the public interest, even if it is true. The definition of public interest is hard.
Privacy.
Salacious details of the lives of public figures is a central content element in many media. Publication is not necessarily justified simply because the information is true. Privacy is also a right, and one which conflicts with free speech.
Fantasy.
Fantasy is an element of entertainment, which is a legitimate goal of media content. Journalism may mix fantasy and truth, with resulting ethical dilemmas.
Taste.
Photojournalists who cover war and disasters confront situations which may shock the sensitivities of their audiences. For example, human remains are rarely screened. The ethical issue is how far should one risk shocking an audience's sensitivities in order to correctly and fully report the truth.
Conflict with the law.
Journalistic ethics may conflict with the law over issues such as the protection of confidential news sources. There is also the question of the extent to which it is ethically acceptable to break the law in order to obtain news. For example, undercover reporters may be engaging in deception, trespass and similar torts and crimes.
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