This document discusses media ethics and provides an overview of key concepts. It begins by explaining why studying media ethics is important as it examines moral practices and issues in media. It then defines media ethics as the philosophical study of morality in the context of media institutions and practices. Several key points are made about media ethics: it involves moral choices and values that influence decisions in the media context. It also distinguishes between ethics, which is the rational study of morality, and morals, which refer to religious or philosophical codes of behavior. The document notes some differences between morality and legality. It also discusses some morally relevant features of emergent digital media and expectations for a course in media ethics, which should stimulate moral thinking and develop analytical skills

1. 1. Why study media ethics
◦ Questions goes to the heart of culture and ethical practises of
individual members of the public, media practise and
professional media organisation.
◦ Issues such as decline in standards - bias, inaccuracy, unfair
treatment, invasion of privacy, manipulation and exploitation.
Topic 1: Media ethics: Morality,
Legality & Moral Reasoning

2. � Ethics – rational discussion of the process of
making moral judgement.
� Media ethics – philosophical study of morality in
the context of media institutions and professional
practise, including the ethics of media content.
◦ - moral choices made in this context
◦ - the values that influence them
◦ - notions (concept or belief) of moral good
◦ - what constitute right- and wrong doing
2. Defining media ethics

3. � All questions ask related to the purpose of media.
◦ Good or bad
◦ Right or wrong
◦ David Horner definition of Media ethics suggest that --
Moral judgement, choice and action are things that might
reasonably be argued about and about in which we can
possess knowledge rather than simply feelings, belief or
opinion, thus understand and solve some of our moral
problems and dilemmas.

4. � - ‘morals’ refer to a religious or philosopical code
of behaviour
� - ‘ethics’ study of rational way to decide what is
good for individuals or society’
� A moral decision depends on the values held by a
particular individuals
� Ethical decision should be explainable to others in
a way that they will appreciate, regardless of
whether they accept it.

5. � What is ethical and what might be legal?
◦ Eq. filming people in public without consent
� The problem of morality is precisely thought to be
the problem of formulating moral rules in much the
same way that we enact laws.
� Legal systems do two things
◦ Stipulate (set/specify) behaviour
◦ Aim to make people better – put pressure to curb wrongdoing
3. Morality and Legality

6. � 1) Moral rules are not formally made by anybody or any
authoritative institutions. No specific moral structure to the
universe. Moral system evolves.
� 2) Moral system don’t usually involve formal institution or
detection, trial and punishment.
� 3) Legal rules define an action as wrong, before it was
made illegal.
� 4) Legal rules make it clear between the ‘effect’ of rules
and the ‘basic’ of rules.
� 5) The effect/basic model doesn’t seems to work for
morality.
4. Different of morality from legality

7. Morally Relevant Features of Emergent Digital
Media
❖ media are digital
❖ Combination of text, images, music create new ethical
challenges
❖ codes, regimes, processes to regulate and control
content - rules about photgraphing
❖ information captured, recorded and transmitted are
'greased'
❖ media can deliver content simultaneosly and globally -
privacy issue
5. Digital Media Ethics

8. ❖ global reach digital communication technology
characteristic
❖enable emergence of new media - email,
social networking sites
❖transcend familir geographical, cultural &
linguistic communities to engage in 'cross
cultural encounters online - possible abuse
& exploitation
❖different in belief and values - clash in
ethical and cultural values - Mohammad
(s.a.w) cartoon controversy
Morally Relevant Features of Emergent Digital Media

9. � interactive property of digital media
◦ digital text 'fluidity'
◦ traditional media tends to be 'top-down', 'one-to-many'
◦ internet/ web encourage 'talk back' (responding) to
newspaper, television etc, thus enteractive services
◦ Wikipedia can be modified by users, can be inreliable -
potential moral issue.
Morally Relevant Features of Emergent Digital Media

10. � Ethics instructions can promote moral conduct by
providing the means to make ethical judgements,
defend them, and then critize the result of one’s
choice
� A process known as moral reasoning
6. What should one expect from a
course in media ethics

11. � Moral choices constitute an important part of
human existance
� Consequences of ethical existance can lead to
either suffering of happiness
� Develops emotional emphaty
6. 1 Stimulating the Moral
Imagination

12. � We do not always recognise moral dimension of a
situation
� Prejudice / self interest betray our moral compass
� Need to anticipate possible dilemmas – subject to
change
6. 2 Recognising ethical issues

14. � Think critically about ethical issues is the heart of
decision-making process
� Examining fundamental abstract concepts such as
justice, moral duty and respect for others.
� Critical examination of arguments and justification
to support one’s moral decisions.
6. 3 Developing Analytical skills

15. � Responsibility cannot be delegated
� As moral agents we are all responsible
6.4 Eliciting a sense of Moral Obligation
and Personal Responsibility

16. � A rational decision is based on a defensible moral
foundation, ample deliberation (consideration) and
consideration of available options
6.5 Tolerating Disagreement

17. � Moral knowledge – good or bad =
● Credibility
● Integrity
● Civility
� Credibility – believable, worthy of trust
Point of departure in ur dealings with others and our full
membership in the moral community
7. The first principles of Moral
Virtue

18. Civility
◦ Manners, etiquette
◦ Encompsses an attitute of self-sacrifice & respect of others
◦ Tools for interacting with others
◦ Respect and self-sacrifice – concern for others, not selfish
◦ The opposite : Egoist – self-interest
The first principles of Moral Virtue Civility
Integrity
� 1) discerning what is right and what is wrong
� 2) acting of it
� 3) saying openly
� + willingness to take responsibility

19. � The need for social stability – trust each other
� The need for moral hierarchy – moral gatekeepers
� The need to promote a Dynamic Moral Ecology -
challenge members to examine both public issues
and private concerns
◦ Goal is not ideal society but decent society
◦ Ethics is not science, its trial and error
� The need to resolve conflicts
� The need to clarity values
8. The need for a system of ethics

20. � End of slides. Thank you