Lecture 8

Lecture 8 caused me to ponder ethical questions that I might one day have to make, no matter how difficult they may be. Journalists have to make difficult ethical decisions throughout their careers and it is up to the individual to decide if it’s the right thing to do. There are three theories surrounding ethics in journalism that were discussed in the lecture. Deontology suggests that you do the right thing by following the withstanding rules, principals or duties. Consequentialism focuses on the end result. Getting the desired outcome or ‘the great story’ is all that matters and how you got it is irrelevant. The notion that the end justifies the mean is essential for this theory. Virtue ethics is focused on the individual. Is this okay by your principals and is this the type of person/journalist you want to be?

Although it is not always as simple as this. Journalists most often do not get to choose their stories, especially newcomers to the field. Therefore they are not likely to turn away a job over a breach of their own ethical values or a dream of the type of journalist they want to be.

The image of the young child and vulture shown in the lecture was defiantly food for thought. The confronting image caused much questioning of ethics and left me thinking. How far would I go to deliver a story?