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This text introduces readers to the tools necessary for making moral and ethical decisions regarding the use of mass media. The focus is on the three mass media industries most pervasive in today's society: the news media (journalism), advertising, and public relations. In his exploration of ethical issues and media, author Thomas Bivins guides students to understand not what the "right" answers are, but to identify those answers that are most appropriate within the given context. Identifying those to whom the answers are the most appropriate is a major concern of this book. Readers will come away with a greater appreciation for the complexities of making a moral decision and will develop a personal "yardstick" by which to measure their decisions. The chapters in this text offer insights on: *similarities and differences among the ethical dilemmas faced by the mass media; *common ground on which to evaluate media behavior; *media obligations; *professional ethics; *ethical theory and its application to the modern media; and *considerations of truth and harm. This text has been developed for courses covering ethics in public relations, advertising, and journalism. Offering valuable lessons applicable to all forms of communication, Mixed Media serves as a critical starting point for understanding and developing answers to ethical questions. These lessons serve not only to better students' ability to make ethical decisions, but also to better the media professions as they become practitioners in the mass media industry.
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Thomas Bivins Mixed Media Moral Distinctions in Advertising, Public Relations, and Journalism MIXED MEDIA Moral Distinctions in Advertising, Public Relations, and Journalism MIXED MEDIA Moral Distinctions in Advertising, Public Relations, and Journalism Thomas H. Bivins University of Oregon 2004 LAWRENCE ERLBAUM ASSOCIATES, PUBLISHERS Mahwah, New Jersey London Copyright Ó 2004 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, microform, retrieval system, or any other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers 10 Industrial Avenue Mahwah, NJ 07430 Cover design by Kathryn Houghtaling Lacey Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mixed Media: Moral Distinctions in Advertising, Public Relations, and Journalism, by Thomas H. Bivins. ISBN 0-8058-4257-8 (pbk: alk. paper). Includes bibliographical references and index. Copyright information for this volume can be obtained by contacting the Library of Congress. Books published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates are printed on acid-free paper, and their bindings are chosen for strength and durability. Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents INTRODUCTION 1 WHAT MAKES AN ETHICAL ISSUE? ix 1 Ethics or Morals? 1 Ethics and the Act of Communication 2 The Media and Morality 3 Are the Media Prone to Ethical Dilemmas? 3 The Media Are Not Us 4 Media Culture and the Clash of Priorities 5 The Effects of Organizational Structure on Moral Decision Making 7 Moral Excuses 9 Can Personal Ethics Become Professional Ethics? 10 Media Similarities: The Common Threads 11 Media Differences: A Coat of Many Colors 13 Media Goals 13 Media Loyalties 16 Forming Ethical Standards for the Mass Media 17 Values, Ideals, and Principles 18 Professional Codes and the Law 20 Can the Media Be Ethical? 22 Exercises 23 Case Study: Newsweek and the Death of a Story 23 Case Study Questions 25 Case Study: Patriotism in the Newsroom 26 Case Study Questions 27 v vi 2 CONTENTS MORAL CLAIMANTS, OBLIGATION, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 28 <