This syllabus is for JNL-2105, Journalism Ethics, taught by Professor Linda Austin at the National Management College in Yangon, Myanmar, starting June 1, 2015.

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Syllabus – JNL 2105, Journalism Ethics
Professor Linda Austin | National Management College | June 2015 | laustin.nmc@gmail.com
Learning objectives
What you will be able to do after successfully completing this course:
 Identify the principles of news media ethics.
 Describe several methods for resolving ethical questions in journalism.
 Apply those principles and methods to resolving situations that journalists encounter.
Course description
Burma had one of Southeast Asia’s first indigenous press-freedom laws. In 1873, King Mindon of the
upper kingdom introduced the law that said, in part:
“If I do wrong, write about me. If the queens do wrong, write about them. If my sons and my
daughters do wrong, write about them. If the judges and mayors do wrong, write about them.
No one shall take action against the journals for writing the truth. They shall go in and out of
the palace freely.”
As Burma transitions to a freer press, the responsibility of journalists to act ethically is critical to both
continuing that process and maintaining the credibility of its media.
This is an applied ethics course in which we will use many real cases. We will examine how news
outlets make news decisions and how they should make those decisions.
We will learn about tools we can use to make better ethical decisions.
Required texts
 Textbook: The Ethical Journalist: Making Responsible Decisions in the Pursuit of News, by
Gene Foreman, which will be provided.
 Follow the news: You cannot be a successful journalist if you don’t keep up with the news.
The BBC has a Facebook page of news in Burmese: https://www.facebook.com/bbcburmese
The Irrawaddy also has a Facebook page of news in Burmese:
https://www.facebook.com/IrrawaddyBurmese Read both. We will start each class by asking
whether you have seen any issues involving journalism ethics in the news. You can also get a
daily email in English of links to news about Burma from a variety of sources by subscribing at
Burmanet.org.
 Quizlet app for vocabulary study: If you have a smartphone, download the free Quizlet
app: http://bit.ly/1AbndiE Then, search for “Vocabulary words from ‘The Ethical Journalist,’
by Gene Foreman”: https://quizlet.com/_1ccmqa You will find several ways to learn the
vocabulary words including flash cards and games. After you’ve accessed the vocabulary-word
set once, you can use the Quizlet app without being connected to the Internet. The 41 words
and their definitions will also be distributed to you as a handout. There will be a vocabulary
quiz on June 22 based on these 41 words.
 Media Code of Conduct by the Myanmar Press Council (Interim), which will be
provided.
 U.S. Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, which will be provided.

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Four memos on case studies
Outside of class, you will write memos on four case studies. The facts in the case studies will be given
to you. Memos should be no more than two pages, typed and single-spaced, using 12-point Times
New Roman font.
You should write the memo as if you were a reporter, editor or producer at a news organization and
were giving advice about the case to the top editor or news director. It should contain four sections:
1) Background of the case
2) The ethical philosophies and processes you considered
3) Alternatives with pros and cons
4) Recommended action.
The memos will be graded according to these four criteria:
1) Issue spotting, or successfully identifying ethical issues that we have studied and incorporating
them into the memo. A premium will be placed on the number of ethical models and constructs you
cite and examine.
2) The quality of analysis. Your memo must include all four of the sections above. The discussion
of options should be thoughtful and complete.
3) The clarity and quality of your recommendation. Each case must include your final ethical
judgments on what the journalists have done and should have done.
4) Concise, active, interesting and accurate writing. Writing and factual errors will cost you.
This table explains how your memos will be graded; the highest number of points on a memo is 100:
Scoring criteria:
possible points
Excellent:
25 to 20
points
Good:
19 to 14
points
Fair:
13 to 7 points
Poor:
6 to 0 points
Issue spotting: How
many of the ethical
models that we have
studied do you
incorporate?
Quality of analysis:
Does the memo include
the four required sections?
How complete and
thoughtful is your
evaluation, analysis and
discussion of the options?
Quality and clarity of
recommendation: How
clear, logical and well-
stated is your conclusion?
Does it include your final
ethical judgment on what
the journalists have done
and should have done?
Writing: Is it concise,
active, interesting and
accurate?

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Class participation
I strongly encourage you to ask questions and participate in class discussions. We are all learning
together, and your questions may well help others.
Weekly quizzes
We will start class most weeks with a short true-false quiz on the reading from the previous week.
Midterm
You will have a midterm exam that will cover readings and lectures.
Final exam
Your final exam will consist of two case-study analyses. The fourth memo on a case study will be the
take-home portion of the final exam. The in-class portion of the final exam will be structured and
graded like the four memos that you’ve written outside class. The final will be worth 80 marks.
Deadlines
All homework must be submitted at the beginning of the class in which it is due. Late assignments will
receive a grade of zero.
Attendance
You are expected to be in every class, and you are expected to arrive on time. There are no excused
absences or tardiness, and no makeup work will be given.
You are allowed two absences without penalty. After that, your final course grade will
drop by 3 marks for every absence. Tardiness is treated the same as an absence.
Grading
Your final grade will be determined as follows:
Tutorial #1 6 marks
Memo #1
Weekly quizzes
Class participation
Tutorial #2 8 marks
Midterm
Memo #2
Tutorial #3 6 marks
Class participation
Weekly quizzes
Memo #3
Final exam 80 marks

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Memo #4 – take-home exam
In-class final exam
TOTAL 100 marks
Scale for final course grade
Scale for final course grades: GP 5=75 marks and above; GP 4=74 to 64 marks; GP 3=64-50
marks; GP 2=49-35 marks; GP 1=34 to 0 marks
Classroom etiquette
Cell phones and all other mobile devices must be turned off during class. Please do not interrupt
others when they are speaking.
Academic integrity
If any student is found to have engaged in academic dishonesty in any form – including but not
limited to cheating, plagiarizing and fabricating – that student shall receive a GP 1 for the class.
Plagiarism consists of using someone else’s words, phrases, sentences or ideas without giving credit.
This is true whether you do it intentionally or inadvertently.
Sensitive-material advisory
We will discuss the appropriate use of graphic photos and language, including the use of racial slurs.
Course schedule
Be sure to read textbook chapters before the week dedicated to that topic so you can contribute to
the discussion. All chapters are from The Ethical Journalist: Making Responsible Decisions in the
Pursuit of News, by Gene Foreman. This schedule is subject to change.
Week Dates
Chapter title and
subject for the week
Chapter to
read
BEFORE
week
starts
Quiz/exam
dates
Due dates
for
important
assignments
1 June 1-5 Why Ethics Matters in
Journalism
1 (pgs. 3-6,
10-12 only)
June 5: Syllabus
quiz
June 3: Return
student
questionnaire
2 June 8-12 Ethics: The Bedrock of a
Society
2 June 8: True-false
quiz on previous
week’s reading.
3 June 15-19 Applying Four Classic
Theories of Ethics
6 June 15: True-false
quiz on previous
week’s reading.
4 June 22-26 Using a Code of Ethics as
a Decision Tool – Seek
Truth and Minimize
Harm
7 & U.S.
Society of
Professional
Journalists
Code of
Ethics
June 22:
Vocabulary quiz

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5 June 29-
July 3
Using a Code of Ethics as
a Decision Tool – Act
Independently and Be
Accountable
Media Code
of Conduct
by
Myanmar
Press
Council
(Interim)
June 29: True-
false quiz on
previous week’s
reading.
6 July 6-10 Making Moral Decisions
You Can Defend
8 July 6: True-false
quiz on previous
week’s reading.
7 July 13-17 Stolen Words, Invented
Facts…Or Worse
9 July 13: Midterm
exam
8 July 20-24 Conflicts of Interest:
Divided Loyalties
10 July 20: True-false
quiz on previous
week’s reading.
July 20: First
memo due
9 July 27-30 Getting the Story Right
and Being Fair
12 July 27: True-false
quiz on previous
week’s reading.
July 31 HOLIDAY – No class
10 Aug. 3-7 Dealing with Sources of
Information
13 Aug. 3: True-false
quiz on previous
week’s reading.
Aug. 3: Second
memo due
11 Aug. 10-14 Making News Decisions
about Privacy
14 Aug. 10: True-false
quiz on previous
week’s reading.
12 Aug. 17-21 Ethics Issues Specific to
Web Journalism
18 Aug. 17: True-false
quiz on previous
week’s reading.
Aug. 17: Third
memo due
13 Aug. 24-28 Making News Decisions
about Taste
15 Aug. 24: True-false
quiz on previous
week’s reading.
14 Aug. 31-
Sept. 4
Ethics Issues Specific to
Visual Journalism
19 Aug. 31: True-false
quiz on previous
week’s reading.
Aug. 31:
Fourth memo
due
15 Sept. 7-11 Covering a Diverse,
Multicultural Society
17 Sept. 7: True-false
quiz on previous
week’s reading.
16 Sept. 14-18 Final exam Final exam