Media ethics

Media Ethics examines the relationship between media expression and human behavior. It also functions as a control instrument in terms of responsibility in media companies. Media ethics questions the role of media in the community and society in a moral point of view. Media Ethics is a special area of ethics.

3.1 Individual Ethics
3.2 audience ethics
3.3 Case reports Ethics

4.1 Christian Media Ethics

6.1 Wolfgang wounds
6.2 Schicha / Brosda: Media ethics between theory and practice
6.3 Characteristics of a media ethics
6.4 Rules of the German Press Council
6.5 Basic objectives of the mass media
6.6 Broadcasting Order
6.7 Principles of broadcasters
6.8 Wiegerling, Klaus: Media Ethics
6.9 Funiok, Rüdiger: Media and Ethics
6:10 Problems of governance

Classification

Philosophical terminology distinguishes between ethics and morality, with ethics refers to the scientific study of morality. Media Ethics refers to a specific area of ethics or applied ethics case. It deals with the ethical aspects of the use of mass media including media professionals, the public, media companies and the social media regulations. Although the Internet or network ethics has a medium with its own special aspects, but it is usually attributed nevertheless of media ethics. 'Communication' is a generic term that includes the mass media communication; , Communication Ethics ' but is not a generic term for, media ethics '. Communication ethics has, according Funiok face-to -face situations of human communication on the subject, for example in the work of psychologists or counselors.

There is no consensus on the question of whether media ethics is a normative science. While representatives of the Christian media ethics and other authors say yes, see, for example, Klaus Wiegerling media ethics solely as a descriptive form of ethics. Wiegerling emphasizes the proximity of media ethics for media philosophy, which is paid no special attention from a number of other scientists. Media Ethics has content overlap with disciplines such as media education and media law, but with differences in the working methodology.

Criticism

Some critics argue against the relevance of media ethics, media in the context of general principles such as respect for personal dignity would be sufficient; about media ethics is superfluous as a special area of ethics. On the other hand, some consider others in recognition of journalism as a special field of action yet the media ethics as a subject for journalists redundant. So says the winner of the Pulitzer Prize journalist Dana Pries, you do not learn journalistic ethics courses, but by working with experienced journalists. Some social scientists accuse the media ethics before as a normative philosophical subdiscipline lack of scientific rigor, as a rational, scientific justification of universal standards is no longer possible today.

After Leschke media ethics is exposed to economic cycles. He sees a connection between the opening for private broadcasters in the Federal Republic of Germany and a media ethics boom in the late 1980s, in which authors from the field of theology had a large share. After the passed while the monopoly of public service broadcasting institutional influence of theologians had become smaller, had media ethics concepts are intended to compensate through the establishment and enforcement of general normative standards this loss.

Tasks

Media Ethics is concerned with the following questions:

Which means permitted information may (pictures, movies, sound, text, documents ) to be procured?
How widely they can edit (collectively, reformulated, cut, edited)?
What words can be selected ( neutral point of view and objectivity of reporting)?
How should information be selected for publication ( news selection)?
What information is ever published, or rather not (ethics)?

An alternative perspective is the question of responsibility in the media:

Who is responsible?
What he is responsible ( for action )?
To whom is he responsible?
To whom he must answer?

Another point of view is based on the question " What are the tasks that media professionals ( esp. journalists) to the Company meet ( or should have )? "

The work of the media is mainly influenced by political considerations (political standpoint of the media representative, respectively. Media professionals ) and economic considerations (maximizing the reach and the achieved attractiveness of the medium as an advertising platform ). Media ethics attempts to define the degree to which the work of media professionals by political and economic factors may be influenced resp. where the limits are.

Important contributions to media ethics debates also provide the self-regulatory organizations (eg German Press Council in Bonn).

Dimensions

When considering ethical issues in the media various dimensions can be considered:

Individual ethics (normative oriented)
Ethics of the media system ( systems theory )
Public ethics
Casuistic Ethics ( North American- Anglo-Saxon )

Individual ethics

Emil Dovifat: Any journalism ethos is determined - responsibility, sense of mission, conscience, loyalty, attitude. After the Nazis followed a decade-long abstinence ethics: normative ethics concepts were sentenced by ideology, as suspicious.

Truth should be the top priority of coverage ( Boventer ).

Public ethics

In the last 15 years has become more important. Audience to see through manipulative influences of the mass media and to emancipate them. These are ineffective appeals generally. There are universal values in relation to human existence. From this, responsibility, duties and virtues derived, which are valid in every culture, society or religion.

Duties are not to be understood as an imperative, but as a framework with which a situation can be judged ethically.
In a democracy there is a high degree of individual freedom. This places high demands on the media education of the population.

Casuistic ethics

Case studies - since 1920s in American journalism education; in Europe less common. In the so-called Potter box ethical decision-making processes to be thought through in four stages:

This process is designed with a grid of five classic ethics models together:

Golden mean of Aristotle
Kant's categorical imperative
Utilitarianism ( maximum benefit for the greatest number of people affected )
John Rawls fairness principle ( inequality for the benefit of all )
Christian-Jewish charity

Other casuistic models: David Gordon, John Michael Kittross

Advantage of these models:

To promote professional decision-making authority for journalists, without depend on a particular standard.
With mesh and different thought patterns, to see not one of them as an alternative.
Conclusion: Fast practicality in everyday work
Disadvantage: Potentially ethical disorientation

Focus of Media Ethics

Moral Philosophical reasoning strategies of media ethics as a discourse ethics or system- theoretical constructivism ( Habermas)
Relevance of economic criteria in the operationalization of media ethics concepts.
Influence of the Internet on media ethics issues

Relevant topics: protection of minors, consumer protection, freedom of expression and diversity of opinion, copyright, concentration processes, issues of status of public- service broadcasting, manipulation by the media, privacy, advertising, PR.

Christian Media Ethics

Contact with the subject because of a media- driven society ( " Shooter ", protection of minors, violence in the media) and in the ecclesiastical and educational practice ( kindergartens and schools).

Joint Declaration of the EKD and the German Bishops' Conference: Opportunities and risks of media company.

Media and Communication are measured by whether they serve the people, the possibilities of life unfold, not restrict criticism and promote the coexistence of people. Orientation of the Christian media ethics at the dignity of the people who are with the freedom and self-determination ( human and communication) inextricably linked.

Problem: Careful wording and ambiguous recommendations for action

Institutionalization

Media Ethics is a specialized field, which may be involved in higher education in different subjects, including philosophy, theology, communication studies and journalism. Among the programs in question has the master program Media - Ethics - Religion at the Friedrich- Alexander -University Erlangen -Nuremberg a particularly clear reference to media ethics. Some chairs are focused solely or primarily on media ethics, so at the Munich School of Philosophy ( Chair Alexander Filipović from September 2013) and at the Friedrich -Alexander- University Erlangen- Nuremberg ( tender in 2013 in the field of media studies ), in other cases, media ethics as an associated, among other subdivisions of a professorship, eg in the case of journalism professor Vinzenz Wyss at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Our research focus of Rainer Leschke at the University of Siegen include not only media ethics and media theory, media aesthetics and media culture. Giso Deussen held from 1998 to 2005 professor of media ethics and media politics at the University of Bonn- Rhein-Sieg. Sabine Trepte research in Social Psychology on " Web 2.0 and media ethics." The journalist died in 2001, Hermann Boventer was from 1976 lecturer on media ethics and communication theory at the University of Bonn and at the University of Munich. Additional contributions to media ethics come from Rüdiger Funiok, Michael Haller, Matthias Karmazin, Larissa Krainer, Horst Pöttker, Matthias Rath, Christian Schicha, Barbara Thomass and Werner Wolbert.

With the German Society for Journalism and Communication Science ( DGPuK ) is dedicated to one of its 15 specialist groups of the communication and media ethics. Furthermore, all some church organizations such as the joint work of the Evangelical journalism as a contact in the field of media ethics.

A student jury of the Stuttgart Media University in Stuttgart, awards the Media Ethics Award META to highlight positive examples of ethical and value- conscious journalism.

Individual research results

Wolfgang wounds

Media ethics is applied ethics and provides maxims for a subset of philosophical ethics. You must practice and accompany -explanatory, be practical regulating and developing area-specific maxims from the thing out.

General accessibility and acceptance of media products for maximum users professionalism of the product and its mediation. Truth and verifiability Is and conductance horizon. Expansion of media diversity as an extension of freedom of the recipients.

Problem: How to distinguish themselves, without suppressing other views Christian media ethics in a pluralistic media company? This just goes without being patronizing or restriction of freedom of expression and press freedom.

Important:

Human dignity in spite of commercialization and economics
Commitment to the Christian view of man
Warning against the exploitation of man by the Entertainment
Protection of victims in disaster reporting
Emphasis on the interpretation competence of the Christian faith, and work on one of the worldwide media code of ethics

Conclusions from it:

Social Ethical reasoning: Mass media are ambivalent - on the one hand indispensable in social communication and interaction under democratic conditions. On the other hand, they are also fallible.
Diaconal reasoning: media serve minorities are heard and help realize the information justice. Provide orientation when increasing need for interpretation of the media society.
Individual Ethical reasoning: Direct Communication between people is threatened by mass media. Therefore, the personality of the people should be emphasized. Media only a part of the total reality of life.
Discourse Ethical reasoning: In pluralistic societies discussed with and also about ethics. Strengthening of dialogue and debate.

Uden is convinced that no normative teaching authority or reasoning can solve ethical problems. This can only be the people themselves

Schicha / Brosda: Media ethics between theory and practice

In the grounds of morality overarching rules that follow a universalist claim apply.
No appeal to political and religious authorities or customs
There are criteria of rationality, justification, generalization ability
Orientation to the good and just action; this is not fixed for all time and always, in the context of the culture, society and in a given period.

The normative ethics established principles of moral ( morally ) right and good act or omission. These standards are tied to actions. They are based on the values of society and do not have the task to establish absolute truths. Within a unified moral " framework" we make individual choices: Which standard does not suit us just to mind and which not.

The task of applied conception of morality lies in the compromise between the ideal and practice. This means too much oriented to opportunistic practices in practice, a legitimate adaptation to the factual circumstances without.

Characteristics of a media ethics

Individual responsibility of journalists
Profession Ethics ( guidelines and standards, such as the Press Code )
System Ethics ( economic and legal circumstances )

Boventer emphasizes the individual responsibility of every journalist for his coverage. This shows respect for the audience and the research " object ". The journalist has a broader role responsibility.

Institutional ethics: emphasizing the responsibility of the media business. You need to create good conditions for the socially responsible work of journalists. This includes the legislature, the media and employees -holders, the political system and the media system.

Problem: How can these ideal-typical policy be reviewed? This requires profession, ethical standards from which ( ideally) a transparent and moral behavior follows.

Public ethics: the aim is to raise the level of quality of media products through the targeted rejection inferior or morally questionable products. However, this is unlikely to be successful because unreal.

1957 Foundation of the German Press Council: Toothless Tiger wg. Lack of sanctions except complaint and reply.

Rules of the German Press Council

Audience orientation
Separation of opinion and news
Truth and Truthfulness
Balance and objectivity
Procurement criteria ( correct Find )
Duty to rectify
" Louder " alignment methods
Maintenance of professional secrecy ( evidentiary privilege )
Protection of privacy and intimacy
Prohibition of infringement of moral and religious sentiments
Prohibition of discrimination wg. Racial and gender

Basic objectives of the mass media

Maintaining or achieving freedom of communication, communication independence and communication diversity.

Mediator to the understanding of economic, political and social contexts. This is to allow for an open, free and full discussion of different points of view as possible.
Make the public arena for the exchange of information and opinions
Socialization function, understanding
Integration function - identification, several opinions offer everyone the opportunity to feel at home somewhere.
Orientation

Broadcasting contract

Information, opinion, political opinion, entertainment, information, cultural responsibility and integration. Orientation to the Basic Law Article 5, Section 1: Freedom of Expression, Press and Broadcasting Freedom

Principles of broadcasters

Reporting full, fair, balanced, objective, understandable, independent, non-partisan, reasonable, not one-sided.

Restriction possible violation of general laws, the security of the State, the danger to the public peace or minors in actions against international understanding, tolerance commandments violation of the respect for life, of personal honor, freedom and integrity.

Wiegerling, Klaus: Media Ethics

Media ethics is a descriptive form of ethics: it describes the behavior of the people under media conditions. This results in little concrete action recommendations and standards. Target of media ethics is the sharpening of one's own potential responsibility.

It is emancipatory because it is critical of the existing moral and contributes to the detection of contradictions in the existing media theories and ideologies at. Media Ethics is not an independent science, but part of the information ethics.

Definition:

Ethics must be generalizable: Different professional groups may not lead to different ethics. Nevertheless, the generalizability experienced in some areas restrictions. But: sectoral ethics must be compatible with the general ethics. Example: The Mafia While pursuing a certain profession / code of honor, but this is far from compatible with the ethics of Western democracies.

Media are the mirror of human expression and of themselves Thus they are also an expression of human behavior, action and omission - General Ethics directs people in life - people are part of the media system - General Ethics is also part of media ethics.

Funiok, Rüdiger: Media and Ethics

Tension between economic / financial success and ethics of the whole society.

- And many other conventions, which ensured human rights

Expression and freedom of the press is a condition of media ethics. Previously: Even censorship of the church, later in the ( absolutist ) state. The reconnaissance and printing monopoly was the state.

The rights enshrined in the Basic Law rights to free speech, etc., are "everyone " rights. They are subjective and at the same time public law. Everyone has the same right to freedom and dignity. " Where there is no law forcing commitment must take its place "

Because it constantly gives new possibilities for action and decision is the desire for an incorruptible, nonpartisan entity that decides what is moral commanded, prohibited or permitted. Previously, this task fell to the religion, ethics today.

Who is responsible?

Definition Morality Morality is an area of human life, which is different from art, science, law, or religion. Morality is the totality of moral judgments, standards, ideals, virtues and institutions.

Definition Ethics Ethics is the scientific study of the area of morality.

Responsibility from the Roman law: a person has to answer for something by having to answer the question before a judge what he has done. A certain crime and its consequences are attributed to him. According to Max Weber ( in the lecture " Politics as a Vocation " ): " that one has to pay for the consequences of his actions ( predictable ). "

Responsibility is demanded and formed by social instances in which the rules and contexts of human action are kept clear, in the span of private conscience and public rules.

Problems:

Problems of governance

For the introduction of laws it needs a public awareness of the urgency of the problem. This takes time and control options ( justiciable and effective).
Politics is interested in the establishment of new media enterprises. This creates tax revenue and jobs. Why is the policy of the company against a few limitations.

Conclusion: The state control options are limited. And there is hardly a market character by the concentration of oligopolies. These are technological, cultural and economic power. Who has a lot of power, also has more freedom and more opportunities for proactive action. This creates certain realities and values and influences political processes alone through this sphere of influence of the media oligopolies. The goal is usually to increase the profit. How important is the public interest here?

Problems: Infotainment, PR - dependence, delimitation of information and opinion, attention to fast online journalism, separation of editorial and sales-oriented sites on the Internet.

561463