A conclusion

 In this class we’ve tried to touch on a variety of ethics problems media practitioners might face.  We began by talking about whether we can rightfully learn ethics at all in a class  Should ethical relativism be our guide?  Most of us seemed to think it should not.

 Ethical relativism does not offer the possibility of critical scrutiny.  “Everybody has the right to his opinion.” But we have the responsibility to critically consider those opinions.  We decided, perhaps, instead that “Everybody’s opinion has the right to be heard.”

 The danger with believing that ethics is relative to a society’s standards, and that society’s differ from each other—is that you end up condoning such society’s as Nazi Germany or Pol Pot’s Cambodia.  Just because it’s a moral view of a society doesn’t mean it’s “equally correct.”

 Personal bias is the basis for ethical decisions of many.  But we as media practitioners have a greater responsibility to consider our prejudices more critically—because our decisions can affect thousands, perhaps millions.

 The goal of this class was to help us find ways to do that through critical analysis.  It was not designed to be indoctrination. Of the cases covered this semester, you probably don’t recall very often the instructor offering his opinion.  That’s because the instructor’s opinion on these cases doesn’t matter. What matters is the process you go through to make your own decision.

 How do we consider complicated factors in an organized way?  I hoped this class would give you some system of considering the evidence, your values, the alternatives, and the defense of your decision.  The ethics worksheet offers one way to do that.

 Having a decision-making system helps us really consider what’s at stake, who is involved, and what you believe.  The defense of your decision was emphasized, because media people often have to defend ethical decisions, and they often don’t do a very good job of that.

 You’ll hear many media people say they make decisions “on a case-by-case basis.” But guidance is available if you recognize it.  Every major media organization has a code of ethics designed to help us make decisions—but a lot of folks in the media don’t even realize they exist.

 Even if codes have their limits, as we discovered, they can help.  We also have to remember that media ethics is more than journalism—it applies to the entire spectrum of communication-related disciplines.

 So some final thoughts. In a world full of cynicism, people responsible for one of society’s most powerful forces, the media, need some sense of responsibility to consider the impact of their exercise of this power.

 Secondly, it seems we need to understand a little more about how ethical decisions that we and others make affect distribution of power in our society.  Power is distributed through distribution of information.  Those with the information have power to make decisions in a democracy.

 The media are in the information business, supplying and redistributing information to those who do not have it. And when they have it, they can take action.  The ability to take action is the definition of power.