Past Ethics Applied to the New Journalism World

Throughout history, philosophers and religious leaders have developed different ethical systems. There is no one correct way to live and act ethically, however if we utilize several different ideas and teachings, we can come up with an ethical code to live by. One of the four major systems of ethical reasoning is categorized by “Character or virtue ethics.” This is the oldest of the ethical systems and was a belief firmly held by the Greeks. They believed in virtues such as courage, modesty, and honesty. Virtue ethics is the idea that you’re being virtuous because of your character, which allows you to conduct your life according to the best virtues. Virtue ethics was not set up to tell us exactly how to live our lives, rather it sets up a template for the best way we can live our lives. The roots for virtue ethics goes far back in history, and to some may seem dated; however recently it has been appearing more and more in media ethics. Journalists and reporters must follow a set of rules and ethics if they want to be seen as a credible source.

The Golden Rule Applied to Journalism 

One example of virtue ethics is the golden rule. This is an ethical principle in Judeo-Christian belief that many of us have heard in our daily lives today. Whether in school or spending time with relatives most of us have heard, “Do unto others as you would have tem do unto you.” In other words, treat others how you want to be treated.” This is a part of ethics that is very prevalent in many lives today and that is why I chose this example. I believe that people who treat others with the same dignity and respect as they expect are extremely virtuous people. They treat everyone as equal and don’t put others before themselves. This virtue principle is also interesting to examine because a journalist can apply it. An example is if she were to interview a grieving relative. By treating this person the same way she would want to be treated with respect and dignity, she can avoid some of the charges of invasion of privacy in coverage that the media often pins on these stories. An example of this in recent journalism is CNN reported on 15 teens who died in Texas due to a car crash. CNN had to report that this teen was too busy texting. When interviewing the families to get the inside information, the reporters had to exercise the golden rule and make sure to treat the family as they would want to be treated. There have been times when the media has been insensitive in times of personal grief, and if you abide by the golden rule then this should not be an issue.

The Golden Mean Seen Through News 

A second example of virtue ethics is the golden mean. Aristotle and Confucius thought of this ethical principle. They believed that a balance between two separate ways, or the “middle” is the ethical way. This means that’s instead of deciding between two extremes, pick the middle route. This idea, however does not always work. As explained by the textbook, it is still not ethical to only steal half of the money from the cash register. Aristotle continues to explained how “the process of deciding on a mean in one way we determine what virtue is, and the mean becomes the standard by which ethical acts are judged.” The golden mean is applied to news stories as news reporters try to find a balance among all sides of a story. This is not to say they cover both sides with as much space in the paper or time on tv, but they try to remain a “middle man.” I chose the golden mean because I firmly believe that taking everyone’s opinion and side of the story into account is crucial. An example of this in journalism is when reporters cover war stories or national conflicts. It is not enough to merely report what one sides viewpoint is, rather to create a well-informed piece, reporters must include the opposing side’s viewpoint as well. An example in recent journalism is CNN reported on the new Pope, Pope Francis. In this article they had to be sure and explain much about the process of becoming pope, what he is like and public opinion from both sides. If the reporter were to merely express one opinion this would not be a credible source. Writing a well-balanced news story is essential to build the name of a news source. Readers form their opinion on a news source based on the validity of the information and lack of bias in the article. By abiding by the golden mean, reporters are able to publish ethical and unbiased newsworthy stories.