Download The foundations of ethics

Ethics in
Journalism
Ethics in Journalism
The foundations of ethics
We are NOT to talk about:
- Personal beliefs
- Any kind of absolute basis
(and less fundamentalist basis)
Ethics in Journalism
The foundations of ethics
We DO are to talk about:
- Shared convictions
(then we'll see who the actors sharing)
- Some kind of social contract
Ethics in Journalism
The foundations of ethics
In our times, the first and most universal
moral contract are Human Rights.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Art. 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this
right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to
seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media
and regardless of frontiers.
Ethics in Journalism
The foundations of ethics
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this
right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to
seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media
and regardless of frontiers.
Receive (true, complete, proven, plural ...)
information.
The constitutions of many democratic countries
collect this idea with several adjectives
Ethics in Journalism
The foundations of ethics
The word RECEIVE helps us get closer to an answer about
who are the actors of the social contract of journalistic ethics.
• Journalists
• Companies
Bud also:
• The audience to whom the information is intended
Citizens then appear as holders of the
right to receive information
Ethics in Journalism
The foundations of ethics
Citizens are holders of the right to
receive information
This can be a solid foundation for a
journalistic ethics that is:
- Democratic
- Away from any kind of corporatism
Ethics in Journalism
The foundations of ethics
And this brings us to a new idea:
Ethical journalism
=
Quality journalism
Ethics in Journalism
Some relationships
1. Ethics and Moral
In some contexts, the Moral is:
- A part of philosophy
- A course of action based on religion
But often the word “moral” and the word
“ethics” are used as equivalents.
So will do we.
Ethics in Journalism
Some relationships
2. Ethics and Law
We can see ethics as the atmosphere or the
cytoplasm of a hard core, which is the positive law.
Ethics is the kingdom of the doubt. Consider areas
such as the limits of science, or bioethics. Also in
the media!
Those behaviors about which democratic society
reaches a certain level of security may (or may not)
be turned into laws.
Ethics in Journalism
Some relationships
3. Ethics and Politics
We know, from Aristotle, that ethics is closely
linked with Politics.
Ethics is not an exact science. Human
behaviors are not objectified, and behaviors
of journalists (although some believe
supermen) either.
Ethics in Journalism
Regulation and self-regulation
We can see the right of citizens to have good information
and freedom of expression as two sides of the same coin.
Some journalists (especially those who have deep liberal
convictions) do not want to hear about any regulation of
informative activity.
They also believe that behind Ethics can be hidden
censorship or self-censorship.
It is true that an excessive regulation of informative activity
may be undesirable. Emerge then the self-regulation.
Ethics in Journalism
Regulation and self-regulation
Actors of self-regulation
- Companies in the sector (more or less convinced that
quality journalism is desirable)
- Journalists and journalism organizations (also other
professionals involved in the informative product as a
documentary experts, television cameras, filmmakers,
etc.)
- Public media receiver
- Public authorities (in which case we might think of a coregulation).
Ethics in Journalism
Regulation and self-regulation
Mechanisms of self-regulation
Within companies
• Books of standards, style guides, etc.
• Newsroom Statutes
• Professional Committees
• Defenders of the readers / the audience
(ombudsman, or ombudswoman)
• Complaints desk
Ethics in Journalism
Regulation and self-regulation
Mechanisms of self-regulation
Outside companies
• Codes of Ethics
• Press Councils (different models in the world,
few with three legs: businessmen, journalists,
representatives of the public)
• Associations of readers or viewers
Ethics in
Journalism