Throughout my time in Dr. Z’s class, there have been many ethical lessons that I have enjoyed learning about. There are two concepts, however, that stick out in my mind as being the most important. The first is the idea of taste versus ethics, as discussed in the ethical decision making in photojournalism lecture. As a journalist, there are many instances where a decision must be made about content that is graphic or potentially in poor taste. On one had, the public has a right to know the truth, as gruesome or offensive as it may be. On the other, sometimes publishing a controversial picture can do more harm than good. So how can a journalist make the differentiation between what is okay to publish and what isn’t? The answer lies in the content’s ability to positively impact the community in some way. Take the picture of rescue workers removing a suicidal man’s dead body from a river as an example. Although the picture may be shocking in nature, it was necessary to publish because up until that point, the police department did not have ready access to the boats that could help save bridge-jumpers lives. As a direct result of that picture being published, this problem was remedied, making the likelihood of another similar indecent happening that much lower. So in this case, even though the picture may appear tasteless in nature, it was ethically permissible to publish it because of the potential lives it could save.
Another important concept discussed in class is the criteria surrounding the decision for a journalist to use deceptive means to create a story, specifically the case study about the Denver Airport security guards. According to Bob Steele, deceptive tactics can only be used when the info obtained is of profound importance; all other alternatives have been exhausted, the nature of the deception and the reason for it are made clear to the audience, the media outlet demonstrated excellence and a commitment to the story, the harm prevented outweighs the harm caused, and the journalists involved have thoroughly reviewed the ethical and legal issues surrounding the story. In the case of the Denver Airport example, the information was definitely important. Travelers had a right to know that the security team supposedly protecting them was ineffective. As far as exhausting all other methods, it is highly unlikely that the security team would have willingly let journalists record them performing their job ineffectively, and even if they had, they would have surely altered their behavior when they realized they were being filmed. So in this case, there really was no other way to produce the story. The nature of the deception was also made clear, and the story was crafted in such a way that the entire situation was accurately represented. In addition, the harm prevented by outing the ineffective security undoubtedly outweighs the harm caused by using hidden cameras. Lastly, it appears as though the ethical and legal concerns surrounding the story were taken into consideration before publication. Since all six of Steele’s criteria were met in this case, the Denver Airport security story can be considered an ethical example of undercover reporting.
One case study that impressed me was the story about the 911 tape of a women in a sinking car, specifically the restraint shown by news organizations in reporting the events. Despite the fact that airing the full tape would have undoubtedly made the story more compelling to viewers, many of the organizations that reported the events only aired a short segment of the audio, if any. Each organization had their own reasoning for redacting what they did, but the general theme was that the point about the ineffectiveness of the 911 system could be made without having to hear the woman die on the phone. This case represents a rare occurrence where media outlets perfectly toed the line of ethical reporting without having to sacrifice any important elements of the story, and for that reason, this case really resonated with me.
As an overall summary of this course, I’d say that the concepts learned and the case studies discussed are of paramount importance to my future success as a journalist. Ethics may not always be the most interesting topic, but it is very important nonetheless. I really liked how the material was presented in class too, and felt there was a good balance of abstract concepts as well as real-life examples. Personally, I envision that the content of this course will have a large impact on my future career and life. Ethics is a very important part of journalism, and I feel that the better understanding of the topic granted by my time in this class will be one of the most important assets I have going forward.