Media Ethics Issues and Cases Chapter 3

Strategic Communication: Does Client Advocate Mean Consumer Adversary?

Toward the start of Chapter 3, the reader is presented with a dilemma. There exists a rift between people who believe that "technology itself raises no ethical issues, but rather [they] arise in how the technology is put to use" and those who believe that technology is embedded with values. We are not required to resolve this debate, however we must acknowledge that it exists and work within its limitations. 

I, for one, disagree with the latter school of Jacques Ellul, I feel that the "capacity for ethical choice" lies in technology but is not an integral part of the technology. Strategic Communications professionals have the duty to evaluate new technologies based on old ethical standards. 

Not only are Public Relations and Ad professionals called to make independent decisions about technology and its use in news media and persuasive messages, but journalists and consumers are also called to make those same decisions. Chapter 3 outlined ways in which we as both consumers and professionals can balance our assigned, contracted, and self-imposed responsibilities and work to evaluate persuasive messages in news media.

In the following video, (used with permission and featuring yours truly) I will use the Amplified TARES test, alongside Cognitive Dissonance and Balance Persuasion theories to evaluate the ethics of its individual message. 

• Truthfulness: are the verbal and visual claims truthful? The only verbal or word-based claim is Tabanero Hot Sauce's slogan "Your Healthy Heat", and yes, this claim is true. Tabanero Picante is one of the healthiest hot sauces using all natural ingredients to establish the gourmet spicy flavor. The visual claims have an air of carefree joy and fun with friends, entailing that if you buy Tabanero you will live a social, popular and carefree lifestyle.
• Authenticity: is there full disclosure of who is paying for the message? Is the claim made with sincerity? This claim is authentic and made with sincerity, because I took part in the filming of the commercial I can honestly say that the emotions of the actors were not staged. There is no message disclosing the sponsor of the commercial because my friend made it in her free time as an attempt to get a job with the Hot Sauce company. 
• Respectful: is there respect for the person who will receive the persuasive message? The person on the other end of this message is most likely an internet user checking out Tabanero's website or searching for hot sauce reviews on YouTube. The receiver of this persuasive message is treated with respect and dignity, this promo does not violate their privacy and does not catch them off-guard with vulgar visuals or verbal content. 
• Equity: is the recipient of the message equally informed as the ad's creator? This Hot Sauce ad does not take advantage of an information gap between the consumer and advertiser. The information needed to fully comprehend and process the persuasive message is inherent in the average consumer.
• Socially Responsible: will some groups be harmed by use of this product? Does this ad increase or decrease the trust the average person has for persuasive messages? This is a socially responsible ad, if 'everyone with the financial means to purchase this product did so' and used the hot sauce, no one would be harmed by the consumers decision. Tabanero actually gives back to the community that is an integral part of production of the product in Tabasco, Mexico.
• Cognitive Dissonance and Balance Theories: is the consumer knocked off balance and then promised a restoration of that balance through the purchase of that product? I wouldn't say that the consumer is knocked off balance by this ad, or that they experience cognitive dissonance or discomfort after viewing it; however, it is fair to posit that this ad promises a healthy, social, and carefree lifestyle while using Tabanero Picante. 
• Vulnerable Audience: is there a stereotype present in this ad? Is there an abuse of trust between the audience and the advertiser? Surprisingly, I could not find a stereotype in this ad. If anything, there was a large Caucasian presence and the video did not account for the representation of diverse peoples that may consume the product.  

Overall, This "Your Healthy Heat" ad passed the TARES test and does not abuse the trust of the consumer or audience. Personally, I see this advertisement as not only ethical but also as restorative for the customer. The upbeat tune and overall good-natured attitude of the video left me as a consumer feeling fulfilled.

Film produced and edited by Hunter Fraser

Media Ethics Issues and Cases Chapter 10

The Ethical Dimensions of Art and Entertainment

Chapter 10 stood out to me because the presence of over-arching and guiding ethical principles throughout the chapter were as apparent as the other chapters. It outlined the ethical dilemmas that arise when art, entertainment, and news collide, but it did not provide an abundance solutions to these problems. Nonetheless, it got me thinking.

I was shocked that I never realized the reason for the blatant use of racism and stereotype in TV ads. After reading, I know that the advertisers have to start with what the receiver of their message already knows and then work backward to establish their overall message. We all know what a librarian looks like: they have thick rimmed glasses, their hair is always in a bun, they are women, they are white.

An average Google search of "librarian" will help you see what I mean.

The presence of stereotypes in art and entertainment leads to another question dealing with accuracy. Can truth be found in art? and should we as the consumers hold entertainment to a certain standard when it comes to truth? Throughout the chapter I was presented with many blurry lines. The distinction between truth and entertainment is complex and (in my opinion) it needs to be looked at on a case by case basis. 

Book Banning: censorship is a problem that is widespread - even in American libraries - that has had little legal intervention. Again, the line is blurred between truth and entertainment. In the case of Harry Potter, books have been banned from public libraries because Christian extremists have claimed that it promotes witchcraft.

Reality-Based Crime TV: television shows including Dateline, America's Most Wanted, and COPS also blur the line between truth and entertainment. These shows do not fall into a single category, they are part entertainment, part infotainment, and part news. They are cheap and easy to produce and gain a large following quickly. 

Based-on-Reality Films: The film Invictus is a true story with a clear artistic vision. The reality-based entertainment industry calls into effect the "theory of uses and gratifications". This theory states that the audience will use media to satisfy certain needs and wants, and these desires impact the message they take away from the media. 

The main problem with the shows that claim to provide entertainment and news (or infotainment) is they usually have a license in entertainment. This licencing allows these shows to bypass accuracy, fairness, and balance.

Reality Shows:  Differing from the Reality-based Cops TV, reality shows very rarely claim to provide news. Think of John and Kate Plus Eight, or Keeping Up with the Kardashians, these shows have changed the way that my generation things about truth and accuracy. 

I watched John and Kate Plus Eight when I was younger and I remember my dad telling me that each episode was planned and edited, he also informed me that the expensive trips to Disney World they went on were not paid for by the family. My entire perception of reality television from there on out was changed. I never delved into a reality-based series again.

Documentaries: "Art that sometimes looks like journalism" is the phrase used when describing documentaries. I love them, they are my favorite genre of movies. As someone who does not have time to watch season after season on Netflix, and doesn't have any interest in Reality Shows (obviously), I enjoy starting a documentary instead on the off chance that I may have time to waste. After reading this chapter, my love for them has not changed. I just need to remind myself that "documentaries seek to tell the truth from a point of view influenced by context."

Overall, I see how difficult it is to differentiate between truth and entertainment. As a student of Communications, I now vow that if something looks fishy when it comes to reality being portrayed in the arts, I will look deeper into the issues and research to find truth and accuracy.

Media Ethics Issues and Cases Chapter 9

“New Media: Continuing Questions and New Roles”

As I read chapter 9 I realized that the only reason that professional journalism (both in print and broadcast outlets) still exists is because of ethics. Information verification is keeping the profession alive, and I could not be more happy. "The ethical values of truth and inclusive access will continue to fund professional performance in this internet age." Finally, chapter 9 gave me hope for the future of journalism and for the future of my career in the field of communications.

Before reading The Virtue of Originality, I was under the impression that as long as you give credit to the source, you would be set and would not be found liable for the misuse of the sourced content. Not that I know that originality is such a big deal in this field, I understand that when you decide to use certain kinds of information, you need to be ready and willing to stand behind your decisions and defend your use of the information. Earlier in this text we discussed how "information is currency." This could not be more true after learning the prices a journalist must pay for information. 

The web has "highlighted the need for journalists to take care," to avoid paying the price for information that is considered stolen or hateful. I find this to be another reason that journalism remains a profession. The job they face now is a challenge to maintain credibility in a world where facts can be published by anyone and everyone. The only way to maintain that credibility is to provide the correct information in the correct context with accuracy and truth.

Accuracy and Truth are key when it comes to sourcing and using content, these two ethical values are easily applicable to an individual's writing on first-hand accounts, but when interviews, links, and comments fall into the picture, the ethical principles of accuracy and truth become easily blurred. New Technology but Continuing Issues brought up many of these problems. I had never thought about providing links in stories as having a potential to be unethical, but "if a link is buried in a story where the reader has scrolled two or more screens there is a 95% chance they would not leave the article for the link" (Grueskin). Even comments need to be monitored for accuracy because they have the vast potential to "spread unfounded rumors and wild conspiracies".

When the concept of personalized news came up in Chapter 9, I had an easy time choosing sides. I agree with Cass Sunstein, I think that news solely catered to the individual eliminates the democratic point of view. The "Daily Me" (a personalized newspaper based on individual needs, interests, and desires) will not contribute to a democratic society; however, it will perpetuate the fragmentation of the mass media and close off an important way that citizens communicate: the  news. An open and respectful dialogue is what is needed in a society where the mass media is used to unite citizens in a democracy. 

I feel so strongly about an open dialogue because it has been so important to my own growth as a student. Before now, I had never been welcomed into an environment that invites and celebrates controversy and diversity. Since arriving at Loyola Chicago I have gained a profound sense of my own identity and the privilege that comes along with it. Because of the open conversations I have had with peers and teachers, I know feel an as though I am integral part of the community. 

Mass Media and News Outlets need to be used to foster these healthy conversations between diverse groups. Personalized news may be convenient for the individual but it ends up fragmenting the goals of a democratic society.

I greatly appreciated the end of the chapter because it ran through two ideas for potential internet news professions: Journalist/Government partnerships and Citizen Journalists. After presenting these ideas it gave ways in which the current news system would change because of them. Thus showing that the current system - with its plethora of ethical checks and balances - was the best fit for today's society.  

I am pleased to report that not all is lost in this bizarre field of communication ethics. I have hope for the future because I know now that ethical principles are guiding this profession and without them journalism would not exist. As long as professional journalists can maintain their credibility and we as citizens can hold them to a standard of truth and accuracy, I think all is well.

Media Ethics Issues and Cases Chapter 8

Picture This: The Ethics of Photo and Video Journalism

As I write this post, it is difficult for me to not scroll through my news feed on Instagram as I - and undoubtedly, all of Gen Y - feel the need to be constantly connected. We have turned from words to a more simple form of expression, pictures. I could make the case that we are becoming more and more lazy and our minds are responding to less and less complex stimuli but I think that would be neither fair nor reasonable. The pictures that we find on Social Media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr and even Twitter, alongside the constant stream of communication in pictures that we have through Snapchat makes the average citizen (no matter what age) a photojournalist.

This simple fact has led "decisions that once could be made in the relative calm of the newsroom ...to be made in the field in an increasingly competitive media environment." The nightly news has lost value because many images and videos of events can be viewed on Youtube before the news has a chance to air. The new challenge has been to provide a clear context for the images and video the consumer now sees and to provide accurate facts that help the viewer understand why the story is important and how it relates to them. I think that news stations of late have been struggling with this issue, many nightly news stations choose to sensationalize the news instead of providing contextual stories that pertain to the viewers.

The general rule for photographers, outlined in Chapter 8 was shoot and edit later, this has created conflict with Goffman's territories concept because he believes we all have the right to control 'information' (including visual information) about ourselves and photojournalism invades that privacy. Garry Bryant offers a checklist for photographers to run through quickly before shooting: 

1. Should this moment be made public?
2. Will being photographed send the subjects into further trauma?
3. Am I at the least obtrusive distance possible?
4. Am I acting with compassion and sensitivity?

I believe that this checklist is a helpful response to the territories concept that arises with Goffman because questions 2, 3, and 4 can be answered quickly. Question 1 is where I find the most trouble as privacy presents itself into the equation again; but returning to the privacy chapter helped me to clarify the ethical dilemma. Photojournalists need to remember the differences between the 'right to know' and the 'need to know' and need to act according to their job as a visual journalist with responsibility and tenacity.

Machiavelli and his ideas about immorality and consequence from his publication "The Prince" are also reflected in this chapter. It was said that "The photographer who is deciding whether and how to photograph a tragedy is wrestling with the dilemma of treating every subject as an end and not merely a means to an end." Warren Bovee's and Byrant's checklist can both be used to assist the photographer in understanding clearly the effects of ones actions. The question that lingered with me from Bovee's checklist as the most difficult to answer was "Are the means truly morally evil or merely distasteful, unpopular, etc.?" This question is one that lies with the public opinion and the culture and beliefs of one's surroundings. Thus, making it a necessity to answer the questions society holds before evaluating the countless variables that exist effecting the photograph.

Now that light, angle, proportion, and setting can all be manipulated or set up, photography has lost its assumed sense of sincerity. In the section on 'Staging Photographs and Video', I was intrigued by the concepts of Mirror and Window photographs.

• Mirror photographs and videos are more staged. Props, lighting, poses, and settings were manipulated to achieve a maximum effect, this makes the photo a representation of reality. The example used in the text of Mirror Photos was the photography from the dust bowl -  I was shocked to hear that the images in texts I had read as a child were not genuine.
• Window photographs and videos are reality being captured by the photographer with no intention to alter it. 

I am saddened by the fact that many experts agree 'photos are loosing their moral and legal authority,' mostly because of the amount of personal, political, and commercial power that photos have. However, I am glad that the text book holds news photography to a higher standard than "feature photos," based on the belief that art may be manipulated, information may not. 

I took this picture a few months ago and keep returning to it according to the ethical principles I have learned in this chapter. Now that I know I need to be evaluated with the standards of a photojournalist (because after all I uploaded this Facebook and Instagram as an entry to a Photo Society contest) I realize that this photo was taken and used unethically.

I was walking through downtown Chicago and saw this young boy playing with birds - I wanted to save the moment without any intention to alter it, it was a Window photograph. However, I did not receive consent to photograph a minor, It was not my responsibility to make this moment of joy public, it did not provide any useful or pertinent information to the rest of the community, and I used the happiness of the child as a means to meet my end of winning a contest.

Needless to say, I have taken this picture off of social media.

Media Ethics Issues and Cases Chapter 7

Media Economics: The Deadline Meets the Bottom Line

Once again I found an innate fear being instilled into me after reading Chapter 7, even at the very start of the chapter. The Social Responsibility Theory of the Press was introduced as a Utopian world where the media functions as a truthful, contextual, and clear representation of society. In this theory, the media also provides citizens with full access to the day's intelligence and serves as a forum for exchange. This theory does not take into account the fact that media outlets today are gigantic, economically powerful entities. Thus it is a flawed suggestion that the media would ever, ever take its responsibility to society seriously.

Dun, dun, dunnnnnn. (insert dramatic music here).

But it gets worse! I return to my past post on the "Mass Media in a Democratic Society" to establish an ever-present, influential establishment that has permeated essentially every aspect of US society: corporations. In my last post I talked about Political Action Committees and how our democracy has become "of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations." But now, after the state of the media and its massive competition, conglomeration, and consolidation has been made frightfully apparent to me - I must admit that the media too is of, by, and for the corporations.

The United States Government operates through a system of checks and balances. In the past, the news media was just another way of 'checking' the powerful government; however, now that the media is predominately "corporate owned and publicly traded" it has the power to make the decisions it wants, promote the agenda it pleases, and monopolize the news content that has become it's currency.  

"Can the Watchdog be trusted when it is inexorably entwined with the institutions it is watching?"

Frankly, I find it sad that indie books, movies and music have fewer opportunities in a market with so few producers. When the outlets for artists are getting lesser and lesser, the content that is being created and produced becomes catered to a mainstream audience. In my opinion, I see this as the large media-owning corporations slurping up all of the new talent available to me as a consumer (this is selfish, but true.)

Chapter 7 calls information "the currency of the day" and that is unbelievably true. It talks about hyper-competition in the industry by addressing the fact that "supply substantially exceeds demand so that a large percentage of the producers in the market operate at a financial loss." This reminded me of the research I conducted last year on  hyper-local news. In this Prezi you can run through some of the business models for hyper-locality that failed and then settle upon a business model that worked both financially and ethically: DNAinfo.

Business models are the future of media. Until we can figure out a way to provide content at a cost - something that our culture is mostly unwilling to pay for - the quality of the news media will  continue to decline.  The New York Times seems to be the only organization that has a somewhat-working business model.

Media Ethics Issues and Cases Chapter 6

Mass Media in a Democratic Society: Keeping a Promise

Back in Sophomore year of high school, my Honors English II class was assigned a research project with an abundance of freedom: we got to pick the topic. I had no idea what to write my lengthy 3 page paper on so I decided to ask a group of my parents friends because - you know - they were adults, and smart, and all that jazz. One of my dad's friends Mr. Kessler began a lively speech about Political Action Committees. My little Sophomore brain had never heard of these so called PACs and was inspired to learn more about something that caused such a lively debate in a circle of adults.

Boy, did I have a lot to learn.

When reading the four criteria to evaluate all political communication, Transparency stuck out at me because the description raises a question: "Does the audience know who is speaking?" this chapter mentions that Political Action Committees are not bound by campaign finance rules and do not provide accurate claims, I struggle now more than ever to access a transparent news story. This democracy was established as a governance "of the people, by the people, for the people" (to quote the Gettysburg Address) but in the face of recent elections, it has shifted to of the corporations, by the corporations, for the corporations.

For this simple reason I fear that political news is not being covered transparently and I, as a student of voting age looking to make educated decisions in the political arena, do not feel as though I understand the full agenda of political news coverage.

After reading the chapter, I realized that the majority of the information I obtain about a presidential campaign does come from advertising and not concrete news stories. This revelation upset me because I feel as though it is the duty of the news to provide information and it is the duty of the citizen to sift through that information and decide for oneself what is trustworthy.

I have not been fulfilling my duties.

But I guess it isn't fair if I only hate on myself, I understand that the polls - and not the policy - are the focus of political news. So, they aren't fulfilling their duties either. Chapter 6 brought up another interesting thought for me, asking "Is the ad or article empowering or does it contribute to the cacophony of recent political campaigns?" From the ads that I have seen or heard in past elections, I would venture to guess that the answer to this question is a no. I have felt the opposite of empowered.

The bi-polarization of the entire system has left young people like me and my friends either:

• completely and vehemently sure of their political stances, or
• in a spiral of self-doubt that leads to confusion and lack of action and concern.

I regret to inform you that I am in the latter group. To be honest, the mass media and its relationship to the political sphere in the US has led me to neglect to register as a voter. 

But I have hope, social justice can find a place in the news of a democratic society. With the socially responsible view of the media, journalists have the duty to give a voice to a community and the people within it. The ethical and moral compasses of citizens are continually being called into action, it is time that the institutions set in place to run political media use their moral compass as well.

Media Ethics Issues and Cases Chapter 5

Privacy: Looking for Solitude in the Global Village

I've been thinking a lot about public obligations: My friend Becca and I were actually talking about it last night (while in the midst of an existential crisis) and we parted ways once we realized that we couldn't find answers to the questions

• "Who has the right to know private things about me?" 
• "What is a difference between a lie of omission and a private matter?"
• "What gives certain people precedence over others when it comes to personal information?
• "Am I under any sort of public/social obligation to expose my personal life to others?

The first step to recovery is accepting you have a problem...right? Well, after the existential crisis was admitted I searched for solutions. It didn't take long for me to make it to COMM 215 and realize I hadn't read or written a blog for today's class (sorry). The topic was privacy and immediate light was shed on the internal struggles I had been facing.

The difference between 'Privacy' and 'Secrecy' shocked me, and the sentence "secrecy is neither morally good nor bad" quelled my fears but left me without answers. But when the difference between the right and the need to know became apparent, I began to see that not everyone (the public) has the right to know my personal matters. It is simply a matter of context whether I share my private matters and context is also key in deciding the difference between a lie of omission and a personal secrecy. I am only under a social obligation when context becomes a factor that presses the situation and calls the private individual to calculate their motives for privacy. I have come to terms with the fact that my life is very much linked to the concept of the circles of intimacy, and up until reading this chapter I thought that was a negative thing.

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Privacy in the media is a whole different ballpark. I am a complete poetry dork, I run a poetry blog called Human Words that occasionally features my own poetry. The vulnerability involved in exposing ones feelings to the world wide web is one thing, but having a floor-mate read over your shoulder as you post a poem is another. It scared me to realize I was more uncomfortable with the latter situation. This fear and secrecy led me to pull the computer screen away saying "hey, this is not your business", he only replied "it's not my business but you are posting it for the world to see?" 

Privacy has been redefined alongside human communication and technology. It is our job to continue to fine tune the meanings of privacy and solitude, especially in an age where our innermost feelings are tweeted in a second and where certain individuals feel comfortable posting pictures of their legs in the bathtub on Instagram.

Other issues exist when it comes to privacy on the internet as well. The second bullet point in the "four potential harms when privacy is invaded" section really stuck out to me. "informational inequality, such as governments and corporations amassing large amounts of data about individuals without their consent" this quote made me think of two things: Facebook and Google. The takeover and buy-out of Instagram and Whatsapp by Facebook and the massive aggregation of user's data by Google has left its users vulnerable. Yes, contracts and terms and agreements are usually involved, but that does not make this informational inequality okay. We are exposed to multiple privacy concerns when we log on to just one of our social media accounts, and we are a wrapped up in a culture where it is a social obligation to have those accounts.