Two important ethical topics that we have discussed in class and that I have learned lessons from are the topics of deception and invasion of privacy. These were two very big topics we discussed over the semester. The topic of deception taught us the ethical lesson that although it is sometimes easy to deceive people, you shouldn’t let yourself fall into the trap of using deception to get ahead. Using deception and lies to get ahead, is not only morally and ethically wrong but it can always come back to hurt you in the long run. Another important ethical lesson form this semester is to always consider the other people your decisions will affect. This lesson came from the invasion of privacy lecture. If you are a reporter or a journalist, or anyone working in the media, who puts out content, you should always consider the other people who might be affected by the decision you make. Consider everyone and everything, especially when it comes to the topic of sensitive material such as death, violence, sexual assault etc.
One case study I heard this semester that “impressed” me the most was the Stephen Glass case study. This case study was one of the ones that really stuck with me throughout the whole semester. I’m not sure if it is because we watched a movie about it, or just the fact that this case was so shocking to me, but this is the one case study I remember the most about. After watching the movie and discussing the case in class I feel like the Steven Glass case is the quintessential example of what the word unethical means in the journalism industry. These were not white lies he was telling, but completely made up stories from start to finish. Stephen Glass not only fabricated sources but totally made up complete people, places, and events for the sake of writing a “good” story.
I believe that this ethics course will continue to influence me and provide me with valuable materials, not only for the rest of my college career and into my future work life, but also in my everyday life. This course has impacted the way I think, not only about professional ethics cases, but also ethics in my everyday life. I have always thought of myself as an ethical person, but I know I can strive to be more so. This class has taught me that ethical decision making is not always a black and white, but with a good heart and the right tools, making ethical decisions is something we can all do and should strive to do on a daily basis.
I think this course was a great class to take, especially as a Senior. After taking this class I think that some sort of ethics class should be required for all students attending Penn State. As much as someone thinks they know about right and wrong, good and bad, and ethical and unethical, you can always benefit from learning more about ethics and talking about it with others. One way in which this class has proven to be valuable for me was in helping me to sort out my own views and opinion of controversial topics. This class has also been extremely helpful in assisting me in improving my decision-making skills.