UW COM 468 - Media Ethics - EXAM #1 Professor Sara Shaban (4/23/2026)

ethics

Systematic study of principles that ought to underpin human behavior • Different theories offer different responses. In doing so they offer distinct ideas of what it means to be an ethical person.

media ethics

Study of ethical issues that arise for media professionals, i.e., individuals working in journalism, PR, marketing, communication 1. Truth-Telling & Deception 2. Freedom of Speech and Media Responsibility 3. Trust & Mistrust

moral reasoning

Way of thinking that defends a course of action by analyzing decision-making and uses ethical principles to justify a particular action NOT Legal reasoning ("the law says..."), NOR Expressive reasoning ("I feel like...")

student journalism warm up case

"Blakely Hall reopens following renovation offering amenities and community for sophomores" Should student journalists honor take down requests?

relativism

What counts as ethical varies across communities. No single 'correct' answer to ethical problems exists. e.g. Danish cartoon controversies. Controversial portrayals of Prophet, led to debates about how to weigh 'free expression' versus 'religious tolerance'

strengths of relativism as a viewpoint

1) Encourages toleration of different ways of living - No assumption that ones ethics are ONLY way to judge 2) Discourages imposing ethics on others. - No assumption that ones ethics are the BEST way to judge

limitations of relativism as a viewpoint

1) Risks 'essentializing' others groups by reducing it to one viewpoint Be skeptical if society all does one thing 2) Stops us from engaging in moral reasoning, creates expressive reasoning saying "it's your opinion"

Herodotus & Cambyses

Persian King Cambyses was 'stark raving mad' for ignoring local customs. "Custom is King." We have no way of judging whether our ethical principles are better than others'.

egoism

-People say anything to justify selfish interests. -Ethics is therefore a sham (i.e., a cover for power, money, politics, etc.) -Media Ethics Example: PR agency adopts a 'code of ethics' to elevate status and eventually charge higher fees. In practice, the agency regularly violates that code of ethics (e.g., to satisfy clients)

strengths of egoism as a viewpoint

1) Encourages scrutiny of ethical claims. To know if someone is sincere looks at course of action taken. - this isn't perfect solution (people feel forced to act ethically) ex: media adopts code of ethics, reason is selfish bc they do it to elevate their status and charge higher fees (climate change/diversity)

limitations of egoism as a viewpoint

1) can be taken to the extreme assuming selfish interest from the outset - point of moral reasoning is to explore 'course of action' (the pr talks about diversity bc It looks better for them) but in reality they truly couldn't care less about diversity

unreasonable demands

Kant - "You Kant lie" - Ethical commitments that sound nice in principle but unattainable in practice.

false consciousness

Ethics as a cover for oppression. Examples include a man holding a door for a woman, which is nice in theory, but may uphold sexist beliefs.

Augustine

Augustine's ethical framework was based around never lying, even if it is for a "good cause." Lines up with deontology. His definiton of lying is: "A lie consists of having one thing in one's heart, and uttering another with the intention to decieve."

Disconnect between what lies in ones heart and what comes out of one's mouth

Immanuel Kant

Philosopher associated with Deontology - think "Kant ever lie"

deontology

Ethical framework based on the idea that truth telling is the ultimate duty, and that lying is not permissable under any means. People are individuals, not tools.

categorical imperative

Acting only upon motivations that can be universalized to others. (What if everyone else did that?) It is an unconditional moral command that applies to all rational beings regardless of their personal desires and/or goals.

conflicts of duty

When two or more values (e.g: truth, harm reduction) are in conflict. Ex: Duty to protect a source vs. a duty to reduce harm to the public.)

Lauren Windsor

Journalist who went undercover at a Supreme Court gala - Did not tell anyone that she was a journalist, and lied by ommission. Claimed she would not have gotten the information without lying.

gonzo journalism

A form of journalism that involves more of the personal experience of the author rather than objectivity (Windsor's method for the Supreme Court Gala).

consent

Whether or not the interviewed individuals knowingly agreed to either: being recorded, being represented publicly, participating in a journalism interaction, etc.

nietzsche

Nietzsche's truth is constructed and based on perspective, and his ethics on interpretation. Truth is shaped by power, and challenges the idea of objectivity while rejecting moral boundaries in order to gain deeper insight.

'root causes' of global poverty

Largely: colonial roots lasting centuries, debt and austerity policies, and external intervention.

othering

Depicting people, in this case people in the Global South, as helpless, emphasizing chaos in these regions and removing individuality in the process. This process is interlinked with terms such as 'white savior complex' and 'voluntourism'.

Lugo-Ocando's criticism of global poverty news

Lugo-Ocando thinks that global poverty news avoids the root causes of news events, focusing on symptoms instead of causes, which leads to reinforced stereotypes, victim narratives and constant framing of these issues as local failures.

question of intent

Truth-telling might be difficult; intentional deception is less difficult. Sometimes, we care more about whether someone intended to mislead. Nietzsche ignores the question of intent.

Bentham

Jeremy Bentham believed in the moral framework of utilitarianism. Where he believed actions are moral if they benefit the greatest good for the greatest number of people, which is problematic because minorities whose interests are neglected. It falls into conversation with timeliness when speedily reporting on a story, keeps the news timely, which is good, but there's the risk of misinformation

utilitarianism

utilitarianism, do the ends justify the means, maximize happiness, minimize harm, fully focuses on the consequences, not the action. Flexible ethics depend on the consequences

criticisms of utilitarianism

Because the ends justify the means for utlitiarians, there is risk of collateral harm in persuit of achiving a greater good, often affecting minority groups disproportionatly as they dont represent the most people. It also neglects to view people as individuals, instead grouping them into masses.

Ryan Thorpe

A Free Press reporter posed as a white nationalist to gain inside access to a neo-Nazi paramilitary group attempting to gain a foothold in Winnipeg and across the country

criticisms of S-Town

People argue against Brian Reed and his story, that he didn't achieve meaningful consent, he was overly intrusive, and his purpose wasn't clear, that last point being especially important, He shifted his focus from the unsolved murder to a case study on John, mostly because a juicier story came along

revisiting consent

Who is harmed? Family - home - legacy - Critiques - lack of consent - overly intrusive - unclear purpose - Public vs Private Person

privacy

Freedom of press - individual's right to privacy (Sidis report)

public right to know

Report the truth - Minimize harm - Be independent - accountability. News is sensationalist. Journalists prey on people's trust.

William Sidis

Prodigy who tried to sue - had journal written about him that was invasive

Gay Alcorn

Critics of S Town podcast - one of the journalists that he spoke to

misinformation

False, innaccurate or unsubstanitated information. Manipulated or misleading content to evoke an emotion.

Dewey/Truman

Newpaper printed the incorrect results for a presidential election. iconic photo

Boston Marathon

Internet (reddit) misinformation misidentified an innocent person as a suspect in a terrorist attack.

disinformation

Intentionally false info with the purpose of advancing a goal.

Pizzagate

"Pizza" code for child, speaking to disinformation, had to do with hillary and they thought a pizza place was trafficing people.

Colonel Reflipe W. Thenuz

Intentionally false name to prove NY world copied NY journal. It was published by the NYW proving the journals point. The name is a play on words

• Ethics of Care

Attentiveness Responsibility Competence Responsiveness Ethics of care asks: - Who is the most vulnerable in this situation? - How might this reporting harm individuals or communities? - What responsibilities do journalists have to those affected?

• To Catch a Predator

Ethically conflicting TV show that caught pedophiles. It was before they committed any crimes so it was hard to actually convict them

• Applied Publicity

Scheme of Applied publicity, when you try to gauge public sentiment on your lie, to see if others find it reasonable. This happens when you don't believe the perspectives of the liar (you) and the victim are enough.

• Fossil Fuels and Climate Change

Reporting on the tangible effects of climate change on communities. Instead of talking about climate change as a far off nebulus danger, journalists should report on the immediate effects it is having and what can be done to prevent it.

• Bok and Lying

1. Statement (not silence or omission) 2. Intent to mislead 3. Must be false (and believed to be false)

• Deception Six-Point Checklist

1. Is the information sufficiently vital to the public interest to justify deception? 2. Were other methods considered and was deception the only way to get the story? 3. Was the use of deception revealed to the audience and the reasons explained? 4. Were there reasonable grounds for suspecting the target of the deception was engaged in activity contrary to the public interest? 5. Was the operation carried out with a risk strategy so it would not imperil a formal investigation by competent authorities? 6. Did the test of what is "sufficiently vital" to the public interest include an objective assessment of harm or wrongdoing?

• Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman

discussed how the reporting of women gaining the rights to drive was directed toward the prince rather than the women who advocated for those rights. think about whose dominating the convo, what the story is really about, and potential ethical issues.

• Utilitarianism Media Fails

When utilitarianism fails in media ethics... Justifying harm/privacy to individuals - Utilitarianism: Shocking images raise awareness - Issue: Violates dignity of victims and traumatizes families - Fail: Reduces people to tools for a larger goal Sensationalism Over Accuracy - Utilitarianism: Fast info keeps the public aware - Issue: Innocent people misidentified or harassed - Fail: Maximizing overall good justifies spreading misinformation Overlooking Marginalized Voices - Utilitarianism: Focus on stories that garner big audiences - Issue: Stories of marginalized communities are underreported or simplified - Fail: Reflects dominant audiences not those most affected