Two Important Ethical Lessons
Though we have discussed many facets of ethics in this class, each one is of the same importance as the next. All ethical lessons are to be taken seriously, and should be held to the same degree of importance. However, there were certain ethical lessons that stood out to me more than others, because of the way they were highlighted in class and the way the ultimately impacted me. The first of these two lessons is that honesty is of utmost importance in reporting. It was made clear in this class (through countless examples) that fabrication is never a good idea, and is never acceptable— under any circumstance. The second lesson is that there are times when it is appropriate to withhold information from an audience, and also times when it is inappropriate to withhold information from an audience. For example, when reporting a case of child molestation, though it may seem like a crucial detail, releasing the name of the child could be potentially dangerous, and could cast a dark shadow over the rest of the child’s life. Conversely, withholding incriminating, crucial information from audiences is a form of spin, and therefore dishonest media— which would join these two ethical lessons together. Both contribute to each other and can be responsible for a great deal of damage and controversy and therefore poor journalism.
One Case Study
The case study that, by far, stood out to me the most was the case of Stephen Glass. Glass’ actions will forever leave a lasting impression on me, as someone who is an aspiring public relations practitioner (though the lessons exemplified by Glass have the potential to go far beyond communications majors, as there are general life lessons to be taken away from).
Impact
As an aspiring public relations practitioner, it is important that I consider the ethics of communications in everything I do. A great deal of public relations consists of dealing with controversy, and while it is important to consider ethics at all times, it is especially crucial when dealing with controversy, crisis, and difficult material. The lessons I have learned in C409 will prove themselves to be beneficial throughout my career in communications, and they will likely extend beyond my career into my personal life as well.
Reflection
I am very, very happy to have chosen to take C409 as one of my communications electives. Not only is the course material invaluable, but it is presented in a thorough and captivating way by Dr. Zhong. Each lesson was supplemented by real-world examples in addition to effective explanations from Dr. Zhong. The workload was very appropriate and fair, and I feel that I have definitely made the most of the class.