Ayten Gorgun Smith

1. Theories of Media Ethics
CF301 Communication Ethics and Rights.
Fall, 2012.
Instructor: Ayten Gorgun Smith Teaching assitant: Sabina Jafarova
Kadir Has University Grad. Stud. Kadir Has University
Faculty of Communications Faculty of Communications
Department of Public Department of New Media
Relations and Information

2. Values in Media.
Credibility:
 A sense of responsibility to consumers, community concerns, and
society.
 Decency, honesty, and truth.
 Avoidance of misrepresentation and deception.
 A sense of fair competition.
 The protection and promotion of the reputation of the advertising
industry.
Source: Patrick Lee Plaisance Media Ethics; Key Principles for Responsible Practice

3. Theories of Ethics.
• Metaethics:
 Moral theory-why should I be moral?
 Relativism.
• Normative ethics:
 Social justice.
 Truth.
 Nonviolence.
 Human dignity privacy as a moral good.
• Descriptive ethics:
 Instrumentalism.
Source: Robert S. Fortner and P. Mark Fackler The Handbook of Global Communication
and Media Ethics

5. Theories of Media Ethics.
• Authoritarian Theory:
‘The rulers controlled the press and reserved the right to license
publications and censor content.’
• Social Responsibility Theory:
In terms of this theory the media should:
1. Accept responsibilities towards society including setting professional standards for supply
of information i.e. truth, accuracy, objectivity, privacy and balance of their reporting.
2. Avoid publishing information that could lead to violence or social disruption.
3. Expect societal intervention if the media fail to meet professional standard.
4. Collectively reflect a diversity of content to ensure public access to a variety of viewpoints,
and their right to react to these viewpoints.
Source: http://www.merinews.com/article/media-ethics/131845.shtml

6. Ten questions to ask yourself.
1. What is my journalistic purpose?
2. What is my personal motivation?
3. How can I include others with different perspectives and diverse
ideas?
4. Have I included, in fair measure, perspectives I disagree with?
5. Who are the stakeholders and what are their motivations?
6. What if the roles were reversed? How would I feel?
7. Have I got my own preferred outcome – an agenda?
8. What are the possible consequences of my actions – short and
long term?
9. What are my alternatives to maximise my truth-telling
responsibility and minimise harm?
10. Am I able to justify my thinking and my decisions to my
colleagues, to the stakeholders and to the public?

7. Six rules for getting it right.
1. Seek truth and report it as fully as possible – eyes wide
open.
2. Act independently – owe nobody and don’t seek favours or
favourites.
3. Minimise harm – had it not been for you, the world would
never know.
4. Assess all facts – don’t ignore the uncomfortable, or that
which goes against your script.
5. Independent sources – don’t follow the flock, find fresh
voices and perspectives.
6. Thoroughly check the validity of information – take nothing
at face value.
Source: http://www.mediahelpingmedia.org

9. Readings:
Patrick Lee Plaisance Media Ethics; Key Principles
for Responsible Practice, ‘Ethics Theory: Application
to Media’, London: SAGE publications, 2009 pp.21-
43.
Robert S. Fortner and P. Mark Fackler The
Handbook of Global Communication and Media
Ethics ‘Primordial Issues in Communication Ethics’,
Volume 1, Blackwell Publishing, 2011 pp.1-20.