Lecture dynamics of mass communication (9th edition) chapter 16 joseph r dominick

THE DYNAMICS OF MASS COMMUNCATION Joseph R Dominick University of Georgia Athens McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Regulation of the Mass Media McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Chapter 16 Chapter Outline Ethics and Other  Informal Controls McGraw­Hill Personal Ethics Performance Codes Internal Controls Outside Influences © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved 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 McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved 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 McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved 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 McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved 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 McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved 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 McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Ethical Principles Principle of Self­Determination – Judeo­ Christian ethic Human beings have value apart from any  circumstances.  They should not be used to  accomplish an end if that violates their self­ determination. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Example: press should avoid being used by sources McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Personal Ethics Definitions   What are the facts? What are our alternative possible  actions?      Values   What values are involved?  Which values are more relevant  to deciding a course of action?        Principles What ethical principles apply?       Loyalties ~ Ralph Potter McGraw­Hill Where do our loyalties lie? To whom do  we owe our highest moral duty and  obligation?         Action Example An Internet expert posed as  an 18­year old  boy on gay web sites © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved 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 McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved 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 McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved 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 McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved 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:  11­part code McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved 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, PG­13, R, and NC­17 McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved 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+) McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Internal Controls Self­Regulation 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  onprogramproducers ã Influenceofcableonbroadcast ã Mostlocalstationshaveapolicybook McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Internal Controls SelfưRegulationinPrint • Operating policies – Everyday problems and situations – Freebies, deceptive practices, junkets, and  outside jobs • Editorial policies – Usedwhenpersuadingthepubliconcertain issuesortoachievespecificgoals ã Boosterism(example:Flint,Michigan) McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Internal Controls SelfưRegulationinAdvertising CouncilofBetterBusinessBureaus AmericanAdvertisingFederation AmericanAssociationofAdvertisingIndustries AssociationofNationalAdvertisers NationalAdvertisingReviewCouncil (NARC) McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Internal Controls ã NARC composed of two divisions • National Advertising Division (NAD) – Handles complaints about ads  – Competitors or consumers • National Advertising Review Board  (NARB) HandlescomplaintsunresolvedbyNAD ComplaintscanbeforwardedtotheFTC McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Outside Influences ã EconomicPressuresPressurefromAdvertisers – Dependency on ad revenues   susceptibility to advertising pressures – Product placement – USA Network bowed to pressure from a drug  company not to make movie about cyanide­laced  Excedrin    – BostonHeraldsreporter ColumbiaJournalismReview(2000):33%of reportersavoidstoriesthataredetrimentaltotheir advertisers McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Outside Influences ã 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 Revenueưrelatedreadingmatter McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Outside Influences ã PressureGroups – – 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) McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Outside Influences • Press Councils     – An independent agency that monitors the day­ to­day 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 McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved  ...Regulation of the Mass Media McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Chapter 16 Chapter Outline Ethics and Other  Informal Controls McGraw­Hill Personal... â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Outside Influences ã EconomicPressuresPressurefromAdvertisers Dependencyonadrevenues susceptibilitytoadvertisingpressures Product placement – USA Network bowed to pressure from a drug ... Performance Codes American Society? ?of? ?Newspaper Editors  Seven Canons? ?of? ?Journalism (1923) Responsibility Freedom? ?of? ?the press Decency Accuracy Impartiality Fair play Independence McGraw­Hill