JOUR 1002 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Golden Rule, Rob Ford, Immanuel Kant
19 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Journalism Ethics
Ethics:
-From the Greek- ethos
-Your personal moral code
-It is about who you are, and how you will conduct yourselves as a journalist- what you
will do and what you won’t do
Why do ethics matter to journalists?
-Moral reasons- like all human beings, we aim to be decent and honest
-Practical reasons- ethical behaviour enhances your credibility and acceptance as a
journalist
-Journalism is unregulated- for good reason- you can be sued, but you can’t be stripped
of your right to be a journalist, we must regulate our own behaviour
-Even more reason for honest journalists to shoulder the responsibility to act ethically
-Changes in media landscape demand constant review of ethical standards
-There is only one commandment of journalism: use your own judgement
Who are you?
-Your personal code
-In journalism as in life, there is many dimensions
-Ethical conventions at every turn in journalism
-Nuts and bolts of the job and the broader questions
Greek division of the philosophical world
-Aesthetics: the beauty of study
-Epistemology: the study of knowledge
-ONE MORE
Ethical Choices:
-Not just what is right or wrong, legal or not legal
-About distinguishing among choices, all choices may be morally justifiable, but some
more so than others
The Golden Rule:
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-Biblical origins
-Do unto others as you would have them do unto you- you will often be writing stories
that can have a huge impact on the person you are writing about. You have to decide: is
it so much in the public interest that destroying this person’s career is necessary?
-Imagine yourself in the place of the person you’re reporting on
Immanuel Kant:
-An extension of The Bible’s “Golden Rule”
-Kant’s Categorical Imperitive: judge….
Aristotle:
-The Golden Mean approach. Base ethical decision….
John Stuart Mill:
-Evaluative alternative actions on democratic grounds, looking for the action that would
produce the greatest good for the most people i.e. most benefit…
Modern Test:
-Explain and justify ethical choices, even if you can’t convince everyone it was the best
choice- it is never crystal clear
-It is the public we serve- ethics are not just for us, but for those who will be affected by
our decisions
-Ethics can be where elements wihin a moral…
Kant’s Dilemma:
-Man at your door with a gun, a man in your closet hiding
-We are not supposed to lie to people, you make the decision to break the rule for the
greater good- to save the man’s life
-City councillor on the take, you visit his office, you come into possession of important
information by nefarious means- did you attain this information ethically? You can come
into possession of information
-Example: the video of Rob Ford was taken by a drug dealer who was smoking crack with
Rob Ford- there was a problem with a way the important information was attained.
Clash of Moral Duties:
-Rwandan refugee crisis in Congo, mainly Hutus
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-There was a massacre- he went to take pictures
-Didn’t notice that there was someone alive
Ethics:
-Ethics is about who you are, as person, not as just a journalist
-The Ethics of Journalism- be honest and fair in gathering, reporting, and interpreting
information
-Your reputation vs. “a story”
-Sometimes you will be pressured to do something you think you shouldn’t do- you have
to make decisions
Intervention and the Journalist:
-Friend Sue Montgomery in Haiti during the earthquake
-She was overwhelmed, she can’t just take pictures and notes, but she much also do her
work. During the day she would work, during the night she would help the people
-Little Boy in Rwanda- when the people were walking back to Rwanda many children got
lost, the UN would pick them up and tag them and then parents would come and find
them. There was one child left who couldn’t speak. He took his picture and wrote about
him, didn’t help him.
-Anderson Cooper in Haiti- helped the little boy find safety, picked him up and carried
him away
-When do you stop reporting and start helping?
-Should he have intervened? He is only there to cover, not to change the events.
Covering them can bring about change.
When should reporters intervene?
-Is an event you are covering still authentic if you have intervened? (remember Star Trek-
can’t change the future)
-Would you help police catch a suspect? - We must keep a very clear line between law
and journalism.
-Would you warn soldiers of enemy sniper? – Very difficult to unravel
-When is it okay to intervene?
Bob Steele- Poynter Institute
-Is danger imminent?
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find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
It is about who you are, and how you will conduct yourselves as a journalist- what you will do and what you won"t do. Moral reasons- like all human beings, we aim to be decent and honest. Practical reasons- ethical behaviour enhances your credibility and acceptance as a journalist. Journalism is unregulated- for good reason- you can be sued, but you can"t be stripped of your right to be a journalist, we must regulate our own behaviour. Even more reason for honest journalists to shoulder the responsibility to act ethically. Changes in media landscape demand constant review of ethical standards. There is only one commandment of journalism: use your own judgement. In journalism as in life, there is many dimensions. Nuts and bolts of the job and the broader questions. Not just what is right or wrong, legal or not legal. About distinguishing among choices, all choices may be morally justifiable, but some more so than others.
