Political and Government Communication and Media Ethics
Institution
University Of South Africa
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Media Ethics in the South African Context
This document contains workings, explanations and solutions to the COM3707 Assignment 2 (QUALITY ANSWERS) Semester 2 2024. For assistance whats-app us on 0.6.8..8.1.2..0.9.3.4... Question 1 1.1 Critically discuss three of the six normative media theories that influence the making of policy for the ...
Political and Government Communication and Media Ethics
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COM3707
ASSIGNMENT 2
MEDIA ETHICS ASSIGNMENT
SEMESTER 2
DUE DATE : 13 SEPTEMBER 24
PREPARED BY
APlusAchiever
,7/22/24, 12:18 AM
COM3707 - MEDIA ETHICS ASS 1
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, 7/22/24, 12:18 AM COM3707 - MEDIA ETHICS ASS 2
Contents Pages
1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................1
1.1 Normative media theories that influence the making of policy for the media
and the
three normative terms that can be used in democracies to reassess these media
theories..............................................................................................................................................
.1
1.2 Professional media ethics with specific reference to professionalisation and
the influence of the socio-political structure.
2. THE IEA MODEL...............................................................................................7
2.1 The IEA model and its different elements.................................................7
2.2 Challenging ethical decision-making issues in the media..........8
2.2.1 The debate about racism in the media.....................................9
2.2.2 Reporting on violence...............................................................9
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that focuses on what is morally acceptable and what
is not. It deals with the moral component of human life. It is a branch of philosophy
concerned with morally permissible and impermissible actions Media ethics is
therefore concerned with moral principles (ethics) in the media. It does not focus so
much on general human behaviour, but rather specifically on how the media and
individual media practitioners should behave and how we can judge their behaviour
or the consequences of their behaviour. It is in this assignment that there will be an
analysis of the normative media theories that influence the making of policy for the
media and the three normative terms that can be used in democracies to reassess
these media theories. There will also be a discussion of professional media ethics
with specific reference to professionalisation and the influence of the socio-political
structure. There will also be a discussion of the IEA Model (for the analysis of ethical
conduct of the media within the South African context) by identifying and discussing
the different elements of the model along with issues that illustrate that ethical
decision - making in the media will always be challenging, especially if conflicting
interests such the debate about racism and reporting on violence in the media as
are involved:
1.1 Normative media theories that influence the
making of policy for the media and the three normative
terms that can be used in democracies to reassess
these media theories.
When we define the term ethics, we can define it as branch of philosophy that
involves systematising, defending and recommending, concepts of right and wrong
behaviour or the branch of knowledge which deals with both. Ethics can also be
termed as a moral philosophy which governs a person's behaviour or the conduct of
an activity. Ethics is a set of standards which help define what is acceptable
behaviour in any circumstance. Media ethics is therefore the code of conduct by
which communicators can judge if behaviour is appropriate or not.
(Oosthuizen2014:3)
Ethics provide all people with a standard by which we judge our own and others’
actions – without a set of morals to judge our actions by they are uninhibited; for
example, without morals or ethics, it would be quite acceptable to steal a car, or to
commit murder. Media ethics (including journalism ethics) is a branch of philosophy
(or mass communication) concerned with actions that are morally permissible and
those that are not. It assists media workers in determining what is right, and how to
choose the best from several alternatives (Lowenstein and Merrill 1990:186 as cited
by (Oosthuizen:2014:3). Media ethics is therefore concerned with moral principles
(ethics) in the media. It does not focus so much on general human behaviour, but
1
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