Moral Development and Journalism (original) (raw)
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Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 2004
This study gathered baseline data on the moral development of 249 professional journalists. Journalists scored fourth highest among professionals tested, ranking behind seminarians/philosophers, medical students, and physicians, but above dental students, nurses, graduate students, undergraduate college students, veterinary students, and adults in general. No significant differences were found between various groups of journalists, including men and women, and broadcast and print journalists; journalists who did civic journalism or investigative reporting scored significantly higher than those who did not. A regression analysis points to five factors predictive of higher moral development in journalists-doing investigative journalism, a high degree of choice at work, moderate religiosity, a strong internal sense of right and wrong, and viewing rules and law as less important than other factors.
Searching for the Ethical Journalist: An Exploratory Study of the Moral Development of News Workers
Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 2002
o This study gathered preliminary baseline data on the moral development of journalists using the Defining Issues Test (DIT), an instrument based on 6 stages. Results show that a sample of journalists scored 4th highest among professionals tested using the DIT. The journalists ranked behind seminarians/philosophers, medical students, and physicians but above dental students, nurses, graduate students, undergraduate college students, veterinary students, and adults in general. No significant differences were found between various groups of journalists, including men and women, and broadcast and print journalists. The journalists in the study scored significantly higher on the 3 journalism-specific dilemmas than on 3 nonjournalism dilemmas.
Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 2007
J This essay outlines an account of virtue ethics applied to the profession of journalism. Virtue ethics emphasizes character before consequences, requires the ''good'' prior to the ''right,'' and allows for agent-relative as well as agent-neutral values. This essay offers an exploration of the internal characteristics of a good journalist by focusing on moral virtues crucial to journalism. First, the essay outlines the general tenets of Aristotelian virtue ethics. Second, it offers arguments touting virtue ethics in comparison with other popular normative theories such as Mill's utilitarianism and Kant's deontology. Finally, an original account of journalistic virtue ethics is offered, with an emphasis on the virtues of justice and integrity.
Journalism Ethics: From Classroom to Newsroom
Constantly undergoing an evolution of its own, journalism is one of the most dynamic careers in the 21st Century. While readers have a hunger for news, journalists themselves have a similar hunger to provide news. However, it is extremely vital to have and follow specific moral values in order to lead a successful and fulfilling career in journalism. A prospective reporter first identifies these values in an academic institution, and then continues to comply with and understand these principles throughout their career. Journalism is a contentious field, mainly because it " provide(s) citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing. " (Kovach & Rosenstiel, The Elements of Journalism, p. 12) To be able to deal with such significant responsibilities, a reporter's attitude is a key factor in terms of how their work is conducted. Determination, boldness and inquisitiveness are the key personality traits David Randall mentions in The Universal Journalist. I agree with Randall when he states, " anger and a sense of injustice should constantly inspire journalists, informing their judgements about the subjects to be tackled and powering their enquiries to their end. " (p. 12) Therefore, to enter a course like journalism, a student should have some if not all of these mannerisms. It is during the course that I find my personal confidence developing into a professional confidence I can see myself working with in the future. Research is one of the most underrated procedures students in any field come by; it is " about knowing where the bodies are – or might be – buried. " (Randall, p. 54) The ultimate success of a project is determined by the amount of research done, the way it is done and the type of information that is used. Perseverance is vital to research methods because it became evident that the most relevant and accurate research I had done was when I was unwilling to give up on an assignment. The " bodies " or cruxes of news stories and assignments can only be unearthed through systematic and widespread research. Living in the 21st Century allows the prospective reporter to widen their searches and gather information from a variety of sources using a number of techniques, all depending on the story at hand. Interviews are an enduring and effective method of getting copious amounts of information for a story. To conduct an interview, journalists abide by a behavioural code with a range of principles starting with punctuality and carrying on with a professional and neutral approach to their subject. Technology has rapidly transformed the media, allowing the Internet to become a favoured medium for research. The modern age has also brought with it the concept of vox pops where the public are also encouraged to contribute their views and resources to the reporting press. CNN's iReport is a portal for the aforementioned public, and has been successful in obtaining data useful to the press eventually promoting the democratisation of the press; in other words, the idea of the
This study advances our understanding of mainstream US journalists' perceptions of their industry's ethical climate by extending first-and third-person perception to this domain. These journalists believe that colleagues in their same organization act unethically significantly less often and act ethically significantly more often than those at other organizations and in related industries. The first-and third-person perceptions are a linear function of social distance but are not the mirror image of each other in this domain. In addition to theoretical contributions, suggestions for ways these perceptions can be used to improve journalists' moral judgment are offered.
From Thinking to Doing: Effects of Different Social Norms on Ethical Behavior in Journalism
Journalists have been shown to be highly capable of making good moral decisions, but they do not always act as ethically as studies show them to be able. In other words, there is a gap between moral motivation and moral behavior. Using the Reasoned Action Model, this study explores the reason for this gap and tests the proposition that different social norms can help predict how journalists behave across three ethical and three unethical behaviors (N=374). As hypothesized, just as it found that descriptive norms predicted ethical behaviors; it also found that injunctive norms predicted unethical behaviors. In addition, descriptive norms accounted for more variance in journalists’ ethical behavior (48%) than injunctive norms did on unethical behavior (28%). Findings from this study advance the Four-Component Model in significantly improving moral behavior predictability, and offer a new way to assess journalists’ moral reasoning. This study provides a theory-driven approach to promoting ethical behavior among journalists.
2011
ear after year, Australian newspaper journalism cannot seem to make it out of the bottom four of the thirty most distrusted professions, pipped only by car salesmen, advertisers and estate agents. Taking an historical perspective of âpublic interestâ and âthe publicâs right to knowâ, this paper will attempt to evaluate the distinction and gravity of both tenets, focussing on why they can have the effect of diluting ethical codes, if misused. The quasi-professional nature of journalism practice lends itself to ethical codes rather than legislative regulation. Accordingly these codes are largely accountable to no one â except perhaps the individual practitioner â and many codes of ethics and practice in the Western developed nations contain an âout-clauseâ in the name of public interest. This paper seeks to investigate these âout-clausesâ, and discuss the oft-quoted allegation that these clauses place journalists above the law. In light of this, I will conclude that in a tertiary setting, and ideally in a professional setting, what must be emphasised side by side with an ethical practice is an individual moral practice, all too often separated philosophically within the professional and industrial spheres.
ROLE OF EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE IN JOURNALISTS’ PERCEPTION ABOUT JOURNALISM CODES OF ETHICS
International Journal of Asian Social Science, 2013
This study examines the role of work experience and education in ethical perception of Malaysian journalists (N =231). Results show that there is big numbers of journalists (more than half of the respondents) who have unfavorable attitude towards journalism codes of ethics. They beilieve that journalism codes of ethics do not decrease the journalist’s mistakes effectively, and can not be formulated in a certain canon or principals. Meanwhile majority of them think journalists can use any method or technique to obtain news if it is essentially important for public including unfair methods like hidden camera and hidden voice recorder. However, the results shows, there is no significant difference between ethical perception of journalists who studied journalism/ media and those who did not. While there is a significant correlation between journalists’ ethical perception and their work experince; the more experience they have, the more favorable perception they have regarding to journalism codes of ethics.
Ethical Orientations of Journalists Around the Globe
Communication Research, 2012
Journalism ethics theorizing is increasingly preoccupied with identifying and articulating universal norms and standards for media systems across various cultures. This study offers an empirical contribution to this topic by examining the ethical orientations of journalists in 18 countries. Country-level, or ideological, factors, rather than individual-level variables, appear to have the greatest impact on journalists’ degrees of idealism and relativistic thinking. Findings affirm hierarchy-of-influences theories regarding news work. They also raise questions about the nature of universal standards that would constitute a cross-cultural journalism ethics theory and underscore concerns about the viability of Enlightenment assumptions to serve as universal journalism ethical norms.
Ethics in Journalism as a Basis for the Journalistic Profession
E-Theologos. Theological revue of Greek Catholic Theological Faculty, 2011
Ethics in Journalism as a Basis for the Journalistic Profession Ethically tense situations which include a conflict of values or various natures or principles commonly appear in the media, as well as within the journalistic profession. In such cases it is very difficult to find ideal solutions. The role of the journalist is to seek solutions that are in the spirit of truth, objectivity, impartiality and at the same time provide a public service. Journalists must act socially responsibly on a whole range of issues, but also remain loyal to their employers. In this context, it is necessary to distinguish between the ethics of journalists of the public service and those of the tabloid media.