SOCIAL DIMENSION AND THE ETHICS OF COMMUNICATION
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
freedom of communication and expression through
mediums including various electronic media and published
materials.
John Milton argued from two main points :
o The free flow or trade of ideas serves to ensure that public
discourse will allow the truth to emerge.
o Truth will emerge from public discourse because people are
inherently rational and good.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Indecency
Deregulation
Copyright
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THEORY
The core assumptions of this theory are a cross
between libertarian principles of freedom and
practical admissions of the need for some form of
control on the media.(McQuail,1987)
• Media should accept and fulfill certain obligations to society.
• Media can meet these obligations by setting high standards
of professionalism, truth, accuracy and objectivity.
• Media should be self-regulating within the framework of the
law.
• Media should avoid disseminating material that might lead
to crime, violence or civil disorder or that might offend
minority groups.
MEDIA INDUSTRY ETHICS
Ethics are rules of behavior or moral principles that
guide or actions in given situations.
The word comes from the Greek "ethos" which
means the customs, traditions or character that
guide a particular group or culture.
Three levels of Ethics :
1- Meta Ethics
2- Normative Ethics
3- Applied Ethics
BALANCING CONFLICTING INTERESTS
In applying ethics, the person making the decisions is
called the moral agent. For moral agents, sticky
ethical issues invariably bring together conflicting
interests.
Truth and Honesty
Can the media ever be completely honest ? PrivacyWe use privacy to control the extent and nature of
interaction we have with others. Privacy protects us from unwanted government
intrusion. The media however, by their nature are intrusive.
ConfidentialityAn important tool in contemporary news gathering and
reporting is confidentiality, the ability of media professionals to keep secret the names of people who provide them with information.
Personal Conflict of Interest
• Ethical decision making requires a balancing of
interests.
• What of a media professional's own conflicts of
interest?
• Should media personalities accept speaking fees, free
travel and other gifts from groups and corporations
that they may later have to examine ?
Profit and Social Responsibility
Balancing profit and social responsibility is a concern
not just for journalists. Practitioners in
entertainment, advertising and public relations often
face this dilemma.
Offensive Content
Offensive content is protected. Freedom of speech and
freedom of the press exist expressly to allow the
dissemination of material that will offend.
REFERENCES
MMC 101 INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION COURSE NOTES & READINGS
CHAPTER 14 READING : BARAN 455 – 489
• http://www.freedomhouse.org
Thanks for listening
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Melek Nur AYDIN 20110301010