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THE
DYNAMICS
OF MASS
COMMUNCATION
Joseph R. Dominick
University of Georgia--Athens
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved.
Regulation of the
Mass Media
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved.
Chapter 16
Chapter
Outline
Ethics and Other
Informal Controls
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Personal Ethics
Performance Codes
Internal Controls
Outside Influences
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Personal Ethics
Ethics are rules of conduct or
principles of morality that point us
toward the right or best way to act
in a situation.
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Ethical Principles
Principle of the Golden Mean –
Aristotle
Moral virtue lies between two extremes.
Moderation is the key. The proper way
of behaving lies between doing too
much and doing too little.
Example: coverage of civil disorders
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Ethical Principles
The Categorical Imperative – Immanuel Kant
What’s right for one is right for all. We act
according to rules we want to see universally
applied. Conscience informs us what is right.
Example: Use of deception in news gathering
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Ethical Principles
Principle of Utility – Bentham and Mill
The best ratio of good to evil for the general society.
How much good is done? How much evil is
avoided? 1. Calculate the consequences. 2.
Choose the path that maximizes good and/or
minimizes evil.
Example: printing the Pentagon Papers
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Ethical Principles
Veil of Ignorance – John Rawls
Justice is blind. Justice emerges when we treat
everyone without social differentiations. All
parties in a dispute should be placed behind
a veil of ignorance.
Example: Press – politician relationships
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Ethical Principles
Principle of Self-Determination – JudeoChristian ethic
Human beings have value apart from any
circumstances. They should not be used to
accomplish an end if that violates their selfdetermination. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Example: press should avoid being used by sources
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Personal Ethics
Definitions
What are the facts? What are our alternative possible
actions?
What values are involved? Which values are more relevant to
deciding a course of action?
Values
Principles
What ethical principles apply?
Loyalties
~ Ralph Potter
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Where do our loyalties lie? To whom do
we owe our highest moral duty and
obligation?
Action
Example
An Internet expert posed as
an 18-year old
boy on gay web sites
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Personal Ethics
Acculturation in a media context is the
tendency of media professionals to accept
the ideas, attitudes, and opinions of the
group they cover or with whom they have
significant contact.
Example: California policemen in a bar
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Print Media Performance Codes
American Society of Newspaper Editors
Seven Canons of Journalism (1923)
Responsibility
Freedom of the press
Decency
Accuracy
Impartiality
Fair play
Independence
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Print Media Performance Codes
Society of Professional Journalists
(1923, 1973, 1984, 1987, 1996)
Minimize harm
Seek the truth and report it
Act independently
Be accountable
APME, Gannett also have codes
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Broadcasting Performance Codes
National Association of Broadcasters
Code of Good Practice (b. 1929, d. 1983)
Children’s TV
Violence
Indecency
Drug and substance abuse
Radio and Television News Directors
Association: 11-part code
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Motion Picture Performance Codes
Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of
America (1930)
Motion Picture Production Code
What to avoid; what to be careful about
20 pages of specific text
Legion of Decency
Motion Picture Association of America (1968+)
Ratings of individual movies:
G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17
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Advertising Industry Performance
Codes
American Association of Advertising Agencies
Standards of Practice (1924)
Offensive statements
Misleading price claims
Rumors about competitors
Advertising Code of American Business
Public Relations Society of America (1954+)
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Internal Controls
Self-Regulation in Television
• 1950s+: “Standards and Practices”
departments made thousands of
decisions on dialog, plot lines, and
visuals
• 1980s+: S&P departments smaller, far
fewer content decisions. Networks rely
on program producers
• Influence of cable on broadcast
• Most local stations have a policy book
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Internal Controls
Self-Regulation in Print
• Operating policies
– Everyday problems and situations
– Freebies, deceptive practices, junkets, and
outside jobs
• Editorial policies
– Used when persuading the public on certain
issues or to achieve specific goals
• Boosterism (example: Flint, Michigan)
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Internal Controls
Self-Regulation in Advertising
Council of Better Business Bureaus
American Advertising Federation
American Association of Advertising Industries
Association of National Advertisers
National Advertising Review Council
(NARC)
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Internal Controls
• NARC composed of two divisions
• National Advertising Division (NAD)
– Handles complaints about ads
– Competitors or consumers
• National Advertising Review Board (NARB)
– Handles complaints unresolved by NAD
– Complaints can be forwarded to the FTC
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Outside Influences
• Economic Pressures – Pressure from Advertisers
– Dependency on ad revenues 
susceptibility to advertising pressures
– Product placement
– USA Network bowed to pressure from a drug
company not to make movie about cyanide-laced
Excedrin
– Boston Herald’s reporter
– Columbia Journalism Review (2000): 33% of
reporters avoid stories that are detrimental to their
advertisers
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Outside Influences
• Economic Pressures – Business Policies
– Trading positive news coverage for ad
space
– Trading away negative news coverage for
ad space
– Nike and San Francisco’s “Bay to
Breakers” race
– Revenue-related reading matter
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Outside Influences
• Pressure Groups
–
–
–
–
Boycotts
Bad publicity
Legal – Civil suits and attempts to revoke licenses
Action for Smoking and Health (ASH)
Action for Children’s Television (ACT)
•
•
•
•
•
Supervisor for children’s programming
Ban drug and vitamin ads from kid’s shows
Ban on host selling
Reducing ads on Saturday morning
1990 Children’s Television Act
– Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
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Outside Influences
• Press Councils
– An independent agency that monitors the dayto-day performance of the media
– Handles complaints through reports and
publicity
– Only a few in the USA
• Education
– Teaching and practicing ethical reasoning
– Developing a system of ethical reasoning
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