comm 10 pt 7 ethics of the mass media
define racial erasure and why it can be an ethical issue in mass media + example
losing all relation to ethnic heritage, which removes the racial diversity in the media ex. The Martian changed the name of an Indian man to a white name
How are court cases and trials an ethical issue in mass media?
mass media can sometimes influence jury members and prevent someone from having a fair trial
How is stereotyping people an ethical issue in mass media? (4 ways)
negatively stereotyping people can influence how people across the nation view these types of people a. whitewashing b. racial erasure c. colorblind casting d. reverse whitewashing
How can a conflict of interest be an ethical issue in mass media?
people in media can have different interests besides their duty to society as a journalist
How are gifts and payola an ethical issue in mass media?
people will give gifts to influence favorable coverage about them payola specifically is referring to artists paying radio stations to play their music more often
How is taste an an ethical issue in mass media?
sometimes it might just be bad taste to report on things happening
How are reporting on risks an an ethical issue in mass media?
the media must decide if it wants to give people a realistic picture of the risks we face in life because currently, coverage doesn't really correlate with the seriousness of risk
What are the 12 unethical issues in mass media?
1. Privacy 2. basic Obligations to fellow human beings 3. Conflict of interest 4. trials and Court cases 5. gifts and Payola 6. reporting a Crime 7. Stereotypes 8. Accuracy of information 9. Undercover reporting 10. Checkbook journalist 11. Risks 12. Taste pocc pc sauc rt
example of how our basic obligation to our fellow human beings can be an ethical issue in mass media
Dallas newspaper wrote a story about a Russian spy and published it even when they knew he would have to kill himself if it was published
How is privacy an ethical issue in mass media?
Journalists must balance a violation of privacy and the public's right or desire to know
example of how privacy can be an ethical issue in mass media
Monica Lewinsky's name released when reporting on the sex life of Bill Clinton (public figure)
example of how accuracy of information can be an ethical issue in mass media
National Geographic digitally moved the Pyramids of Giza closer together so they'd fit on the cover, which misled people into thinking the pyramids were closer together than they actually were
example of how checkbook journalism is an an ethical issue in mass media
TMZ pays for stories, but that leads to a loss in credibility because you can't be sure if the story is actually true, or if the source lied to get some money
What was the beginning of the move towards deregulation?
Telecom Act of 1996 revisited 1934 legislation and decided that the media no longer needed to follow strict content rules or # of stations you could own (LOOK AT NOTES)
example of how court cases can be an ethical issue in mass media
a movie released about a murder before a trial has happened can influence the people selected to be on the jury, swaying them before the trial even begins
example of how payola/reverse payola can be an ethical issue in mass media
artists giving gifts/paying radio stations to play their music radio stations forcing artists to perform at benefit concerts at the threat that if they don't, the artists won't be played on the radio is a kind of coercion that influences behavior
Why does mass media need to be regulated?
broadcast TV and radio need to be regulated because 1. it's accessible to everyone 2. the nature of the electromagnetic spectrum is limited/scarce and needs to be rationed
define reverse whitewashing and why it can be an ethical issue in mass media
casting someone of a different race in media that has nothing to do with the media ex. flower vase - placing famous Asian actors in movies where their presence is not needed just so that the movie will be watched by asian audiences
define colorblind casting and why it can be an ethical issue in mass media + example
disregarding the race/other characteristics of the actor when casting them in parts other than their own race/characteristics removes opportunities from people of color and also may perpetuate stereotypes ex. Tom Hanks playing a gay man when he is straight
example of how conflict of interest can be an ethical issue in mass media
financial commentator paid by a company to comment positively on a stock when they wouldn't have without the sponsorship has a conflict of interest because people trust that he is giving good information a journalist may be sent out to the warfront to report on it, but that puts their life in danger
How is crime coverage an ethical issue in mass media?
information about the crime could lead to copycats, revealing details could encourage stigma and stereotypes
define whitewashing and why it can be an ethical issue in mass media + example
it refers to casting white people in ethnic parts, which reduces exposure of people of color to people ex. Emma Stone playing an asian character
How is accuracy of information an ethical issue in mass media?
journalists aren't supposed to fabricate stories/photos because people expect to be told the truth native ads are advertisements masquerading as normal articles that mislead the reader into thinking its an editorial and not an ad
How is our basic obligation to our fellow human beings an ethical issue in mass media?
journalists must decide if they should do their job or be a decent human being
How is checkbook journalism an ethical issue in the mass media?
journalists paying sources for information can cause people to sensationalize their stories and get paid more for giving journalists inaccurate information
How are undercover reporting techniques an ethical issue in mass media?
planting hidden cameras or hiding your identity or lying is misleading/deceiving the people you are reporting on
example of how gifts can be an ethical issue in mass media
restaurants giving reviewers free food to get a good review can influence the reviewer's review, skewing it positive
example of how crime coverage could be an ethical issue in mass media
revealing the race of a murderer when that information isn't really necessary to the story could further increase stigma and reinforce negative stereotypes about a certain race
example of how undercover reporting can be an ethical issue in mass media
sending journalists into the grocery supply line with fake resumes to report on it while deceiving all of the people they work with is it ethical to lie to get a story?
What are the 3 S's that concern advocacy groups?
sex, swearing, satanism
example of how reporting on risks can be an ethical issue in mass media
the media covers every plane crash, which can mislead people into thinking there are a lot of plane crashes, when in reality, the number of flights that are successful is WILDLY higher than the number of crashes
What do interest/advocate groups do? + examples
they pressure the media to do what they want them to do can be counterproductive with the Streisand effect ex. American Family Association attacked television shows for sexual content and led a boycott against the show's advertisers for supporting such a show
example of how taste can be an ethical issue in mass media
videos of people diving off the World Trade Center were shown, but was that appropriate to show on TV?
What is self regulation?
when the media regulates itself (Hayes Office and MPAA) each media has a code of ethics and regulates itself the internet specifically also regulates itself for the most part