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Categorical Imperative/Deontology • Certain actions are always wrong, regardless of circumstances of individual situations: lying, cheating, stealing, murder, etc. These are called “categorical imperatives.” In deontology, you care about the right and wrong of actions, not of their consequences. • A higher moral order (conscience) guides imperatives, rather than reason • What are some things that you think are categorically wrong?
Categorical Imperative - Examples • For example: One categorical imperative may be that lying is wrong. If someone comes up to you and says they want to kill your friend, then asks you where your friend is hiding, as a strict deontologist you can’t lie to them.
The Golden Mean • The ethical choice is found between extremes, avoiding excessive practices. Finding the middle ground. BUT “Extremes” must still be based on an appropriate range of choices. • This is best used when situations are complicated or layered with ambiguity and uncertainty. • Not all issues have an appropriate middle ground or center.
The Golden Mean - Examples A TV station teams up with a hospital and a drug chain to promote a mass community health screening. It can be for cholesterol, colorectal cancer, vision, glucose or even drinking water. The benefits of this form of newsmaking are clear: • The test kit manufacturer sells a lot of kits. • The drug chain, which buys and distributes the kits free or for a nominal charge, gets publicity and customers into its stores. • The hospital, which processes the kits, also gets publicity, and usually referrals. • The television station gets kudos for community involvement and can forge relationships with advertisers. • TV viewers get screened inexpensively for a health problem
Utilitarianism • Ethical choices produce the greatest good for the greatest number. The ends justify the means. Majority. Can be tricky because you can’t always predict the consequences of a decision. Also, some things are still unacceptable even if they seem to promote the greater good. • Greatest balance of good over evil • Requires an accurate assessment of consequences of an action
The Veil Of Ignorance – Social Justice/Egalitarianism • Maximum liberty, maximum equality for EVERYONE. • “Justice is blind.” Looking at situations regardless of social or economic status. Put yourself in their shoes. • Fairness is considered a principle of justice • Egalitarianism is paramount • For example: Should you report on a politician who is rumored to be having an affair? Would you want an affair reported about yourself? Probably not. But can’t be used all the time to let everyone off the hook either.
Veil of Ignorance - Examples • After a shooting spree at Standard Gravure by one of the printing company's former employees, The Courier-Journal published a front-page photograph of one of the victims. The photograph showed the dead victim lying on his back at the bottom of the stairs, his arms spread out and his body partially resting on a track used to move large rolls of paper. The photograph prompted more than 500 complaints and a lawsuit - won by The Courier-Journal - that went all the way to the Supreme Court. • Readers quickly let the newspaper know that they disagreed and did not appreciate the vivid reminder of the previous day’s events on the front page of their morning paper. • Put yourself in the shoes of the victims and the community – would you want the photo printed? Put yourself in the shoes of the news agency that saw the picture as one “that had to be used” – what would you do?
Agape/Judeo Christian/Care-Based • “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Other-directed care and love. Based on relationships. Personal instead of legal ethics. • For example: Someone practicing Agape ethics might not print a rape victim’s name just because they can. They care more about protecting and caring for the victim than getting a story.
Judeo- Christian - Example • You’ve known for months that the candidate is gay. And each time you raised the possibility of a story, everyone agreed: the man’s sex life was his business. • But now it’s different. A local newscast led with a story that highlighted the candidate’s activities with the local gay community. Even though the candidate "declined comment on his sexual preference," the story is undoubtedly out. • And you’re stuck between being moral and being misunderstood. You still think that the candidate should be allowed to keep his personal life private. But, you’ve got another factor to weigh in your news judgments: "They said it first." • If you don’t go with it, it looks as though you can’t develop that information on your own, or that you’re in the candidate’s pocket. And, what’s the sense of sticking to your scruples if the story’s out anyway? • "They said it first" can be a good reason for going with a story. But it can also be just an excuse for letting competition get in the way of responsible judgments.
Potter Box Examples • Duggar Family Miscarriage Photos • What is the situation? • What are the values involved in showing this image to the public? To taking this image as a “celebrity” family? What values does this image support or negate? • What are the principles involved? • What loyalties are involved? Who has a stake in these private photos being used/reprinted in the press?
