Social Responsibility
"Freedom of the Press is in danger, and the
press must police itself to remain
free of government control."
– The Commission on Freedom of the Press, 1947
American mass media’s rapid development in the early to middle part of this century was accompanied by societal concerns about the performance of media owners and their attitudes toward serving the public. New feelings about the advisability of a free press surfaced which, coupled with the government’s regulation of the advertising and broadcasting indus-tries, sent a message to media professionals that the only way to maintain existing freedoms was to promote more responsible behavior among prac-titioners. Professional organizations sprang up which drafted ethical codes of conduct for their member to follow, an attempt to show a skeptical public that the professions were sensitive to social concerns and, more importantly, to stave off further regulation by the government.
Today, most Americans agree that ethical codes are important, but few believe that journalists and related professionals actually care about ethics. In fact, many Americans astounded when they learn that media practitioners subscribe to accepted codes of conduct at all.
The third weekly essay should address the following statement and be prepared according to the format below.
PROPOSITION:
Media codes are only cosmetic. Few media practitioners are aware of––or actually care about––prescribed standards of ethical behavior.
Paper Format.
This assignment allows you to tailor your essay to exclusively discuss ethical issues that pertain to your proposed major.
Introduction. Your paper should have an introductory paragraph, which will serve as the thesis of your essay. Here, state whether you agree or disagree with the proposition statement and outline the basis for your argument.
Body of the Essay. Before you begin this paper, you will need to find the ethical code that your proposed profession subscribes to and the history of its development. Then, find an example of a modern situation where you feel that a person in your profession or a media organization violated the occupation’s code of ethics. You can look up a case study from a textbook from one of your clas-ses, from one of the many mass media ethics books in the library or from the SPJ handbook "Doing Ethics in Journalism."
Or, more preferable...
You should look to find an actual "real life" situation from the mass media or from working professionals in your particular career track. For example, News-Editorial majors might find a story they feel is ethical in the way information was obtained. Broadcast Journalism majors might look for a piece of questionable reporting or a program that in some way violates the industry’s code. PR and Ag Journalism majors could talk to a public relations professional who encountered a potentially unethical situation. Advertising majors might find an ad or commercial that violates the code of ethics. Whatever the situation, be prepared to show why the example you choose to discuss violates your profession’s code of ethics.
When you write the essay, discuss the historical development of your major’s code of ethics. Then provide a descriptive analysis of the case you have chosen to analyze. This would include providing the details of when and where this case occurred, a thorough description of the facts of your case and why the action, story or advertisement you chose was unethical. THEN: Explain what the proper procedure should have been according to your particular code of ethics.
Conclusion. Discuss whether or not you believe media practitioners are aware of their profession’s code of ethics. If you believe most members of your profession understand the demands of conduct, then why do you believe breaches occur? If you believe members of your profession do not understand or care about ethics, then what do you believe should be done, and how do you propose to make a difference? This is the most important part of your essay, so spend a bunch of time thinking about this.
Follow the guidelines of your preceding paper assignments to prepare this essay. The paper will be due at the start of class on Friday, July 24 at the start of class. Note the course policy on late work as stated in the syllabus.