HOW TO WRITE A MEDIA ETHICS FINAL PAPER

by

Charles Warner

 

     Decide on a current media ethics issue to write about and get my approval of the topic.

     As you write your final paper, you must include appropriate references to the assigned reading.  Your references must be

in the following format for books on the reading list: (Christians, Fackler, et al.  2001, p. 126.).  For Web sites: (http://journalism.nyu.ed/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/2004/01/13/interview_gans.html.  February, 2003.).  The date in the Web site reference is the date your accessed it.  For books not on the required or recommended reading lists: (Eric Alterman. 2003. What Liberal Media?  New York: Basic Books.  p. 126.).  You do not have to restrict yourself to referring to required or recommended reading.

      Your paper should be a critique of a current media practice that you believe is unethical.  Your decision about whether or not a practice is ethical should be based on the Hutchins Commission on Freedom of the Press report or one of the codes of ethics (SPJ, RTNDA, e.g.), or “Commercial Alert.”  The Hutchins Commission report and the two codes of ethics are posted on my Web site, in the “Library” link.  Your paper need not necessarily be about journalism, it can be about any practice in the media that you feel is unethical; however, remember I must approve the topic of your paper.

      Your paper should also have a point of view or voice, depending on the type of criticism it is.  See the “Types of Criticism” paper on my Web site in the “Library” link, under the heading “Media/Journalism Ethics” and chose one type, voice, or point of view for your paper.

      Structure your final paper in the following six sections:

1.    Situation Summary – Write a summary of the facts in the situation about which you are writing.  Make sure there are no opinions or conclusions in this opening summary.

2.    The Ethical Issue and Your Position – State an ethical practice that you believe has been violated.  For example, you might believe that the US Government’s censorship of reporters in Iraq violates the Hutchins Commission recommendation that the press should provide “Full access to the day’s intelligence.”  Or, you might believe that some Fox News reporters or commentators violate the RTNDA standard that broadcast journalists should “Recognize that service in the public interest creates an obligation to reflect the diversity of the community and guard against oversimplification of issues or events.”  Or that the New York Times violates the standard that journalists should “resist distortions that obscure the importance of events.”  (I use these as examples only; they do not reflect my opinion.)

3.    Values – State the value you are using as the primary basis for your critique.  Examples of values are: (1) Professional values such as the public’s right to know, a person’s right to privacy, truthtelling, or balance and fairness, (2)legal values, (3) patriotic values, (4) religious values (don’t kill the unborn, e.g.), (5) freedom-based values (women’s right to choose, e.g.).  Also, your values can be guided by the type of criticism you are writing.  See the “Types of Criticism” paper on my Web site in the “Library” link, under the heading “Media/Journalism Ethics.” 

4.    Principles – State which of the five ethical principles below you are using as the basic guideline for your critique.

a.    Aristotle’s Mean: “Moral virtue is a middle state determined by practical wisdom.”  Virtuous people will arrive at a fair and reasonable agreement for the legitimate claims of both sides in the middle of two extreme claims.  ONE WORD = Virtue.

b.    Kant’s Categorical Imperative: “Act on that maxim which will become a universal law.”  Different from the Christian Golden Rule because it implies what is right for one is right for all. ONE WORD = Duty.

c.    Mill’s Principle of Utility (Utilitarianism): “Seek the greatest happiness for the greatest number.”  (1) Produce the greatest possible balance of good over evil and (2) distribute this as widely as possible.  ONE WORD = Utility

d.    Rawl’s Veil of Ignorance (Egalitarianism): “Justice emerges when negotiating without social differentiations.”  Fairness is the fundamental idea in the concept of justice.  Enlightened self-interest.  Veil of ignorance means that everyone step away from real circumstances into an “original position” behind a barrier where roles and social differences are eliminated. “Justice is blind.”  ONE WORD = Rights.

e.    Judeo-Christian Persons as Ends: “Love they Neighbor as Yourself.”  Unselfish, cooperative. ONE WORD=  Love.  

5.    Loyalties – Discuss to whom your primary loyalty belongs.  Base your decision about your primary loyalty on the following duties (complete descriptions of these duties can be found on page 22 of Media Ethics, Christians, Fackler, et al):

a.    Duty to ourselves

b.    Duty to readers and viewers/government/church/country

c.    Duty to our organization or company

d.    Duty to professional colleagues

e.    Duty to society

 

6.    Critique – After carefully considering the four elements in Potter’s Box, support the position you stated in section #2 above and critique the unethical practice you have identified and indicate why you believe it is unethical, using your Values, Principles, and Loyalties to support your critique.  Also, cite additional ethical standards that might have been violated in the situation, if that is the case, to strengthen your argument.

     

     Begin your write-up with a synthesis of the facts in several paragraphs under the heading of SITUATION SUMMARY.  Do not put anything else in the Situation Summary section, as it must be a summary of the facts and contain no opinions.

      The heading of the next section of your paper should be ETHICAL ISSUES AND MY POSITION.  Briefly state the ethical standards that have been violated in the situation and state your position on the issue.

      The heading of the next section should be MY VALUES.  Make it brief; just state which of the five values above (or other) you are using as the basis for your critique.

      The heading for the next section should be MY PRINCIPLES, and should contain one of the five ethical principles that you have selected to use, such as Aristotle’s Mean.  Write two or three paragraphs on why you believe the principle you have chosen is the correct one for this situation—your rationale for using the principle.

      LOYALTIES should be the heading for the next section of the paper and should be the second longest section of your paper.  State your primary loyalty, or duty, and why you selected it.  In several paragraphs, write why your primary loyalty is the correct one to support your position stated in section #2.

     The most important section of your write-up comes next, under the heading CRITIQUE.  This section should be the longest, most thorough SECTION—probably four or five paragraphs.  I want to understand the rationale for your critique, the basis for your opinions.

      I will judge this paper on the logic and consistency of your thinking and how well you justify your critique, based on what you have learned in this course.

      This final paper should be no shorter than 1,500 words and no longer than 4,000 words.  For example, this document contains 1,191 words, 122 lines, and is eleven lines longer than two single-spaced pages.

     Even though this is not an English course, I expect you to write in clear, concise, well-organized, and grammatically correct English.  Be particularly watchful for spelling errors; especially, understand the difference between "its" and "it's" and “their” and “there.”