Should news reporters express political opinions on their personal Twitter accounts? Are advertisements that look like news deceptive or simply creative? How much public relations spin is appropriate when communicating during an environmental crisis? Media Ethics Today: Issues, Analysis, Solutions charts a thoughtful path through increasingly complex ethical issues faced by today’s journalism, advertising, and public relations practitioners. The book lays a foundation for ethical decision making in mass media by focusing on fundamental values and examining their application to each field. It explores current issues involving privacy, deception, plagiarism, and diversity; analyzes dilemmas arising from the use of digital imagery; and discusses social media’s implications for public engagement, from citizen journalism to consumer reviews.
Rich in real-world examples of success and failure, the book helps aspiring media practitioners learn to identify ethical concerns and employ practical templates for making sound decisions. Designed to provoke debate and guide problem solving, Media Ethics Today will add an important dimension to courses in communication ethics, journalism, and strategic communication.
Jane Kirtley was the executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press for 15 years. She is the Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law at the University of Minnesota, director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and an affiliated faculty member at the Law School.
Chris Ison is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and was an assistant managing editor at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He teaches news writing, investigative reporting, and media ethics as an associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and regularly conducts training seminars in media ethics and journalism for scholastic and professional organizations.
