Lecture 8 - Ethics

This week was a lovely surprise! I have a terrible habit of not checking emails, opting to let them build up and clog my internet (I believe that's how it works?!) until I'm forced to sort through hundreds of, now irrelevant, emails - most of them spam.. Which is why I had no idea this weeks lecture was presented by guest lecturer Donna Meiklejohn. Brilliant! Donna discussed ethics, specifically the ethics of journalism. She has spent many years in the print industry, and had plenty of relevant stories to share.

So what is ethics? Most people know right from wrong. Most people have a conscience, a little voice that guides them. And, one would hope, that the majority of people side with good rather than evil. However in a profession where one's job is to report news that is in the public interest, ethics can get.. a little grey.

How far do you go to cover a story? How important does said story have to be? Who may be harmed in the process? Who might benefit from the story? What are your personal boundaries? How close should you get to a story? How should you present found knowledge? Where is that line - the one that should never be crossed?

Now that is a LOT of questions, but as said, journalists are faced with ethical dilemmas daily. It pays, therefore, to not only consider these types of questions, but to understand the reasoning behind the three ethical codes:

• Deontology: following the pertaining rules or codes to a tee. 
• Consequentialism: if the ends justify the means
• Virtue: does this align with my personal beliefs? 

Ethical codes? That does sound a little convenient, surely not every situation has a rule and code. True, but these codes help decide, justify and explain actions. There is a very fine line between behaving ethically, and staying employed. Donna described a situation she was put in as a young journalist that would make most people incredibly uncomfortable - doing a 'death-knock'. A young couple's three boys were killed in a tragic accident when they rafted too far down a river and were electrocuted by overhanging wires. This is clearly a horrific thing to happen to the parents, however being an unexpected accident, the story could potentially save others being injured by the same thing. Donna was asked to get in interview from the grieving parents - for the sake of the public.

This sort of situation is a prime example of the codes of ethics - there are several outcomes you could reach according to the different codes. Deontology dictates that it is legal, and moral as it is in the public interest. Consequentialism argues much the same, in that the means (upsetting the parents) are justified by the end results (informing the public). However, virtue ethics is more difficult. It is you gut, that little voice in your head which always knows what you believe is right and wrong. Donna ended up choosing deontology - it was her job, and she needed to do it.

While these codes are interesting, as Donna said, in the heat of an ethical dilemma  you do not have time to consider all these rational reasonings. In that case, you really have to listen to that little guy in your head and hope he knows what he's talking about!