Media Ethics
NMC 490
Spring, 2007
Instructor: Dr. William E. Loges
Oak Creek Bldg., Room 218
(541) 737-9855
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 2:15-4 P.M., or by
appointment
e-mail:
bill.loges@oregonstate.edu
COURSE SYLLABUS
This
course reviews principles of right and wrong that have been used to evaluate
the performance of mass media in journalism and entertainment. In their papers
and in class discussion, students compare choices and dilemmas that involve
media ethics.
The
course addresses journalism in the first weeks, followed by a focus on
entertainment media. The difference between the ethics of journalism and the
ethics of entertainment are addressed.
The Textbooks
Baird, R.M., Loges, W.E.,
& Rosenbaum, S.E. (Eds.) (1999). The
Media and Morality.
Kieran, M. (1999). Media Ethics: A Philosophical Approach.
What is Expected of
Students:
(1) Students will complete all reading before attending class. (2) Students will write a paper 3-4 pages long reviewing an ethical violation in American media in the last ten years, applying course principles to their review of the event. (3) There will be two written midterms and a written final exam.
Your
grade will be calculated as follows:
Midterm
1 20%
Midterm
2 25%
Paper: 25%
Final
Exam: 30%
Regarding
Students with Disabilities
Accommodations
are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Services for Students
with Disabilities (SSD). Students with accommodations approved through SSD are
responsible for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to
or during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations. Students who
believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained
approval through SSD should contact SSD immediately at 737-4098.
Learning Outcomes
Students
who successfully complete this class should be able to do the following:
1. Explain
the difference between ethics and law.
2. Define
key concepts such as fairness, conflict of interest, gratuitous, and profession.
3. Specify
the different ethical standards associated with different stakeholders in media
behavior, including audiences, sponsors, regulators, stockowners, and media
professionals.
4. Apply
ethical reasoning to current events in media, such as Janet Jackson’s
“wardrobe malfunction” at the 2004 Super Bowl and revelations that
journalists and commentators have been paid quietly by the Bush administration
to use their media access to support administration policies.
5. Explain
the difference between the ethics of journalism and the ethics of
entertainment.
What Could Go Wrong?
You are expected to hold yourself to the
highest standards of academic integrity. Among other things, this means: (1)
preparing for class by completing the required reading before class begins; (2)
attending class faithfully, and taking part in class when the opportunity
arises; (3) taking tests honestly, relying only on your own knowledge during
the exam; (4) writing your paper with proper attribution of quotes and
information, and without otherwise plagiarizing the work of others; and (5)
supporting and assisting one another when you can.
If
you fail to meet these standards, your grade will suffer. Particularly, if you
are found to be cheating on the exam in this class you will certainly fail the
test you are cheating on, and I reserve the right to refer the matter to the
university for further action. If I find that any part of your paper was
plagiarized, I will surely fail that paper and I reserve the right to refer the
matter to the university for further action.
More
information is available at http://oregonstate.edu/admin/stucon/achon.htm
Calendar of Events
Week One
April
3 Introduction
April
5 Principles and
Paradigms
Week Two
April
10 Media Ethics?
Read:
Kieran, Chapter 1
Read:
Baird et al., Introduction
Read:
Quindlen, attached
April
12 Journalism
Read:
Kieran, Chapter 2
Read:
Merrill (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Carey (in Baird et al.)
Week Three
April
17 Fair and Balanced
Read:
Kieran, Chapter 3
Read:
Witcover (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Hickey (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Casselman http://cjr.org/issues/2004/3/voices-casselman.asp
April
19 Midterm 1
Week Four
April
24 Feeding Frenzies
Read:
Kieran, Chapter 4
Read:
Shepard (in Baird et al.)
April
26 Privacy
Read:
Hodges et al. (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Morrow (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Sharkey (in Baird et al.)
Week Five
May
1 Policy and
Practice
Read:
Editors of the
Read:
Committee of Concerned Journalists (in Baird et al.)
Read:
The Project for Excellence in Journalism (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Holley (in Baird et al.)
May
3 Public
Journalism
Read:
Read:
Stepp (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Merritt (in Baird et al.)
Week Six
May
8 Midterm 2
May
10 Entertainment Ethics
Read:
Day (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Ang (in Baird et al.)
May
15 Sex
Read:
Kieran, Chapter 5
May
17 More Sex
Read:
Chagall (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Bogart (in Baird et al.)
Week Eight
May
22 Violence
Read:
Kieran, Chapter 6
May
24 Offensive Content
Read:
Ahmed (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Kieran, Chapter 7
Week Nine
May
29 Fixing Entertainment
Read:
Minow & LaMay (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Gerbner (in Baird et al.)
May
31 Paper Due
Week Ten
June
5 The Future
Read:
Plotkin (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Mann (in Baird et al.)
Read:
Lynch (in Baird et al.)
June
7 Preparing
for the Final Exam
Final exam:
Tuesday, June 12, 2 PM
The Paper
The paper you turn in on (or before) May 31 should review a real-life case from the media that occurred in the last ten years that in your judgment has represented either a lapse of ethics or an ethical dilemma. By “May 31” I mean the following: Your paper must be submitted to me in one of the following ways by 5:00 PM on May 31, 2007: (1) In a hard copy delivered to me personally or (2) by Internet, as an e-mail attachment, in MS Word format. I will assume that I can print any paper submitted online with no complications and no loss of your text.
Your
review should specifically apply concepts and principles from the course,
demonstrating your ability to recognize these principles in real-life
circumstances. Your paper should be 3-4 pages long. By “3-4 pages long”
I mean standard 8x11” paper with 1” margins all around and type
font no larger than 12 points. These pages do not include a title page, your
bibliography, or any pictures, figures, models, tables, or diagrams. If this is
not clear, it is your responsibility to ask me any questions.
t
is not possible for you to complete
this paper without consulting material that does not appear on the syllabus, so
be prepared to investigate additional published resources relevant to your
topic.
If
you use material you find online it is your
responsibility to investigate the source of the material and defend its
credibility and suitability to an academic assignment. Every online source in your bibliography must include a paragraph explaining the background of the website
and defending its suitability for your purposes. Failure to provide this
explanation will result in serious
damage to your grade on the paper. There are two exceptions to this: (1) a
scholarly journal whose contents are available online through OSU’s library
indexes, and (2) Web material that also appears in a regularly printed
periodical (such as The Wall Street
Journal) or that appears on the official Website of a national news
broadcaster, such as CNN. In such cases you need not explain the source’s
credibility or suitability.
Do
not cite Wikipedia under any circumstances. I don’t mind if you
consult it and get leads there to other credible work that you can cite with
confidence.
Do
not cite my lectures. If you’re not sure where to find citable evidence
for things I’ve said in lecture, ask me.
Begin your paper by explaining the facts of the case as clearly and efficiently as possible. Focus on facts that are particularly relevant to the ethical issues raised by the case. Once you’ve established the facts, explain why this case serves as an example of one or more ethical principles we’ve reviewed in the course.
Don’t
hesitate to draw conclusions of your own. By that I mean don’t worry that
I won’t think you’re qualified to offer your own interpretations or
evaluations of the case and its participants. I do want you to support your
conclusions with evidence and examples. If you write: “Smith’s
behavior in this case violates a principle of journalistic ethics,” I
expect you to specify the reasons why you believe that. (I know that other
assignments you’ve had in other classes may have discouraged this, and
that’s why I’m making this clear here.)
Never
hesitate to ask questions about this assignment.