This paper will turn to and discourse the media and its duties to society in perspective classical ethical theories of utilitarianism. deontology. and virtue moralss. It will besides analyze the different positions of the media introduced by relativism. ethical egoism. and emotivism. This paper will use such theories and positions to the media and its duties to society. in depicting and comparing the ethical theories and positions. along with analysing the issues and behaviours of the media and its duties to society. I will turn to how each theory can assist us believe about what would represent virtuous or ethical behaviour. breaches in ethical behaviour in the media and what are the ethical issues associated with its duties to the society. In this paper I will besides province issues. jobs. and possible solutions on how these theories and positions can assist or offer solutions to how media approaches society and how it needs to remain responsible in order to hold a positive consequence in today’s universe.
The Media and its Duties
When turn toing the subject of media and its duties to society. media is really wide and comes in different signifiers. When media comes to mind. it can mention to engineering. mass. and personal media. the definition of media is. “the chief agencies of mass communicating and plural signifier of medium. ” ( Merriam Webster. 2014 ) . Radio. telecasting. magazines. and cyberspace are all solid signifiers of media that society extremely depend on. in fact we live in a media itself. and are merchandises of our environment. The intent of media is to supply society with information. intelligence. and amusement. What is media responsible for? Media is responsible for giving information that is socially acceptable and ethical in footings of righteousness. and virtuous behaviour.
Utilitarianism in the Media
Utilitarianism. “a philosophy that the utile is the good and that the finding consideration of right behavior should be the utility of its effects. ” ( Merriam Webster. 2014 ) . In this classical theory. we rely on utilitarianism to use righteous information in the media. Utilitarianism will lend the theory of good dependable information in media such as ethical newspaper articles. telecasting shows. and the factual information released into society. Ethical issues involved with the useful theory is that can society depend on the media to supply factual information to the populace that is honorable and will non do jobs within its society. As persons. holding a useful mentality will assist in 1s daily populating by being accountable for what one says to another while being held responsible for all information spoken and written. Having the ethical value of non dish the dirting per say. and talking truth goes manus in manus with holding a useful mentality. so goes for the media and the information that it puts in society.
Deontology in the Media
Deontology. “is the normative ethical place that Judgess the morality of an action based on the actions attachment to a regulation or regulations. it is sometimes described as a “duty” . or “obligation. ” ( Merriam Webster. 2014 ) . In footings of deontology and the media. as a society we rely on the media for an copiousness of information if non all to maintain informed about our universe and the issues that are presently impacting us. An illustration of ethical issues associated with deontology would be the intelligence on telecasting. As citizens. we rely on the intelligence to supply us with information that is morally responsible. The intelligence. is non ever every bit natural as we would wish it to be. Rather than holding all natural footage and information available. we are frequently provided with emended information to ease emotion and apprehension. Although this sounds ethical and socially responsible. holding natural information allows people to to the full understand the reality in the information provided by the media. By non “sugar coating” information. it allows persons to emotionally understand issues. jobs. and concerns that are frequently hidden for whatever ground behind the truth. Virtue Ethics in the Media
Virtue moralss is. “initially identified as the 1 that emphasizes the virtuousnesss. or moral character. in contrast to the attack which emphasizes responsibilities or regulations ( deontology ) or that which emphasizes the effects of actions. ” ( Merriam Webster. 2014 ) . In media. it is believed that virtuousness in moralss is no longer portrayed. One would wish to believe that media is a virtuousness of righteousness. and award. nevertheless over the old ages. media has become so exploited and trashed that it truly contains no value in any facet. Almost all signifiers of media exploit humanity and overstate issues that society has been molded to hunger chitchat. fiction. and non substance information. Media in general seems to be acquiring worse and worse in footings of virtuousnesss and moral character.
Reality telecasting is a perfect illustration of virtuousness moralss in the media. Reality telecasting is the prototype of character trashing and development which contain no moral character. It is a shame that the bulk of human population seem to happen this type of media entertaining. It is believed that society is drawn to reality telecasting because persons can associate to what they are watching. and reading. Common land is the nucleus of virtuousness moralss. although it has no substance. persons feel normal when others are possibly traveling through the same issues as those they see on telecasting or whom they are reading about. What would be known for as chitchat. is now known as personal relating. Relativism in the Media
Relativism is. “the belief that different things are true. and right for different people or at different times. ” ( Merriam Webster. 2014 ) . Any position that maintains that the truth or falseness of statements of a certain category depends on the individual doing the statement or upon his fortunes or society. Populating in a universe with a assortment of races. beliefs. ethical motives. ideas. sentiments. faiths. and so on. do relativism true. Depending on how one was raised. what faith one patterns. what one understands is right and incorrect. and fundamentally what one sees every bit right from incorrect. Every individual has their ain reading of morally right. and morally appropriate.
What one believes is incorrect. may be non be incorrect to another. and with that idea. relativism comes in to play. It is difficult to reason what is right and what is incorrect because every individual has a different point of position about every everything. Relativism in the media is frequent because of the diverseness of the universe in which we live. Media is non responsible for how an single interprets what they see. experience. and believe. Media merely puts out information that want the populace to cognize. and what of all time the public understands and believes is what is understood. Ethical Egoism
Ethical egoism is. “the normative ethical place that moral agents ought to make what is in their ain opportunism. ” ( Merriam Webster. 2014 ) . We see that in media ethical egoism is everyplace and it supplies the media with information that is selfish. narcissistic. opportunism. and self-love. What media does to the person is poison its righteous ideas and replace it with information and ideas of inquiry and negativeness. This pertains to the day-to-day intelligence. to world telecasting. broadcast wireless. and printed media. such as magazines. and newspapers. It is apprehensible that media has to make its occupation and supply information to the populace. but the inquiry is where does the media draw the line in footings of what is in their ain “self-interest. ” The media has a duty to the populace to supply solid. significant. and believable information.
Worlds are a merchandise of their environment. nevertheless their environment is created by the information that is given by and from the media. Therefore. why one lives in a universe full of societal issues. rooted from a ego centered. narcissistic. and selfish media. In order to non go apart of this barbarous rhythm of media selfishness. one must ever research information. and seek to happen truth and apprehension with every piece of information one hears. By holding such a outlook. it increases 1s ability to believe logically and educate one ego with dependable information. Emotivism in the Media
Emotivism is. ” an ethical theory that regards ethical and value judgements as looks of feeling or attitude and prescriptions of action. instead than averments or studies of anything. ” ( Merriam Webster. 2014 ) . Emotivism focuses chiefly on reactions instead than statements. Media today seems to hold an copiousness of emotivism. The shows one tickers and the magazines one reads is non what it truly seems. For illustration. when one watches the intelligence. we frequently see people get emotional on telecasting. or when histrions or actresses play functions in films. they frequently make it seem that they are genuinely emotional. but truly are merely forging for media intents.
By and large. the bulk of what is seen on telecasting is either overdone. or function played for sing amusement. and with that said it brings up the issue of transgressing ethical behaviour. If one knows its is incorrect to move a certain manner. where is the ethical value and morale of being a responsible indivisible in society? It is unfortunate that society is easy losing its ability to believe on its ain. Society is molded to the norms that the media has painted for them. and what society has adapted to as appropriate. Populating in a universe where society follows tendencies and popularity and non what is existent is scarce. Media no longer keeps in head the society. but instead what makes evaluations. sells. and brings net income. Media and its Duties
In today’s media. newspapers. magazines. telecasting. engineering. and so on. merely have three major functions in what they are seeking to carry through. Media acts as a mirror of society to inform the people. Media bridges communicating spreads between different subdivisions of society and critically analyzes public policies. and societal and cultural issues. With the turning engineering media will merely increase and the booming of societal media will take over society twelvemonth after twelvemonth. With these classical ethical theories and positions. it shows persons the different degrees of idea and apprehension when it comes to today’s media and the effects it can hold on that thought procedure. Decision
In decision. one learns that the media and its duties to society is greatly diminishing twelvemonth after twelvemonth and the substance contained with that media is going more and more exploited. In order to keep ethical and moral understanding one must to the full educate oneself to obtain higher apprehension in what is right and incorrect. One must besides happen common land through the classical ethical theories and positions addressed in this paper in order survive through the norms of the media. Media no longer finds duty in educating society. but merely to do money.
Mentions
Merriam Webster Dictionary. ( 2014 ) . Definitions and More. Retrieved April 3. 2014. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ethical Issues/Virtue Ethics. Retrieved April 4. 2014. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Stanford. library. usyd. edu.
Ethical Theories. ( 2003 ) . Ethical Theories Compared. Retrieved April 3. 2014. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. three. edu.
Social Media Today: Undertaking and Responsibilities. Retrieved April 12. 2014. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. socialmediatoday. com
Mosser. K. ( 2013 ) Introduction to moralss and societal duty. San Diego. Calcium: Bridgepoint Education. Inc.
