306497 (v.1) Ethics and The Media Professional 501

Area:

Department of Media and Information

Credits:

25.0

Contact Hours:

1.0

Seminar:

1 x 1 Hours Weekly

Syllabus:

The history of key western traditions in ethical and moral reasoning. Comparitive ethical traditions - including Judeo-Christian, Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu and Confucian. Ethics in social life - the social functions of the media. Competing moral duties ofmedia practitioners and the social responsibilities of institutions and professionals. Public verses private interest. Media freedom and democratic society. Governing ethical conduct - via professional codes, standards and regulatory bodies. Honesty, fairness and accuracy in news journalism. Confidentiatlity and public interest, privacy and privilege.

Unit Outcomes:

On completion of this unit students - have a broad understanding of the ethical dimension of the media and its associated industries and professions such as journalism, advertising and public relations. Familiar with a range of philosophical perspectiveson the role and application of ethical reasoning and have a set of practical skills in analysing and resolving ethical and moral dilemmas in media work.

Text and references listed above are for your information only and current as of September 30, 2003. Please check with the unit coordinator for up-to-date information.

Unit References:

No prescribed references.

Unit Texts:

Day, L. (2000). Ethics in Media Communications: Cases and Controversies, Wadsworth, Belmont. Vardy, P. and Grosch, P. (1997). The Puzzle of Ethics, Armonk, New York.

Unit Assessment Breakdown:

Case Study 30%, Essay 40%, Individual Presentation 20%, Participation 10%. This is by grade/mark assessment.

Year	Location	Period	Internal	Area External	Central External
2004	Bentley Campus	Semester 1	Y
2004	Bentley Campus	Semester 2	Y