Applied Ethics

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Applied Ethics refers to the practical application of ethical principles and frameworks to real-world situations and dilemmas faced by journalists in their professional practice.

Ethics: The moral principles and values that govern behaviors and decisions in society.
Journalism ethics: The set of ethical standards and principles that guide the conduct of journalists in their work.
Objectivity in journalism: The idea that journalists should remain impartial and unbiased in their reporting.
Media bias: The tendency of journalists and media organizations to favor certain viewpoints over others.
Sensationalism: The practice of emphasizing or exaggerating aspects of a news story to make it more sensational or attention-grabbing.
Conflict of interest: The situation where journalists may have personal or financial interests that could influence their reporting.
Fairness and accuracy: The need to report factual information in a balanced and impartial manner.
Privacy and the public interest: The delicate balance between an individual's right to privacy and the public's need to know important information.
Deception and undercover reporting: The ethical concerns surrounding the use of deceptive tactics in investigative reporting.
Plagiarism and fabrication: The unacceptable practice of passing off someone else's work as your own or creating fake news stories.
The role of social media in journalism: The effects of social media on the news industry and the ethical considerations surrounding its use.
Ethics in photojournalism: The ethical issues surrounding the use of photographs in news reporting.
Self-regulation: The practice of journalists and media organizations policing themselves to maintain ethical standards.
Journalism and corporate responsibility: The responsibilities of media organizations to act ethically and responsibly in their reporting.
Ethics and the business of journalism: The ethical concerns surrounding the commercialization of news media.
Media Censorship: The ethical considerations surrounding the regulation or limitation of information disseminated by journalists or media outlets. This can involve issues surrounding free speech, privacy, and national security, among others.
Media Bias: The ethical concerns that arise when media outlets systematically favor one perspective or agenda over others, potentially distorting public perception of relevant issues. This can refer to things like political bias, socio-cultural bias, or economic bias.
Responsible Journalism: The ethical considerations surrounding the practice of journalism itself, including things like accuracy, objectivity, and fairness. Debates around responsible journalism often deal with challenges such as sensationalism, clickbait, and ethical breaches (e.g., plagiarism, conflicts of interest, etc.).
"The basic codes and canons commonly appear in statements by professional journalism associations and individual print, broadcast, and online news organizations."
"There are around 400 codes covering journalistic work around the world."
"The principles of truthfulness, accuracy and fact-based communications, independence, objectivity, impartiality, fairness, respect for others and public accountability."
"Like many broader ethical systems, the ethics of journalism include the principle of 'limitation of harm'."
"The withholding of certain details from reports, such as the names of minor children, crime victims' names, or information not materially related to the news report where the release of such information might, for example, harm someone's reputation or put them at undue risk."
"There has also been discussion and debate within the journalism community regarding appropriate reporting of suicide and mental health, particularly with regard to verbiage."
"Some journalistic codes of ethics, notably some European codes, also include a concern with discriminatory references in news based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities."
"The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe approved (in 1993) Resolution 1003 on the Ethics of Journalism."
"The principles of truthfulness, accuracy and fact-based communications, independence, objectivity, impartiality, fairness, respect for others, and public accountability."
"These apply to the gathering, editing and dissemination of newsworthy information to the public."
"The principles of truthfulness, accuracy and fact-based communications."
"The principles of... independence, objectivity, impartiality, fairness..."
"The principles of... respect for others and public accountability."
"This may involve enhanced respect for vulnerable groups and the withholding of certain details from reports."
"Like many broader ethical systems, the ethics of journalism include the principle of 'limitation of harm'."
"Some journalistic codes of ethics... include a concern with discriminatory references in news based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities."
"The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe approved (in 1993) Resolution 1003 on the Ethics of Journalism, which recommends that journalists respect the presumption of innocence, in particular in cases that are still sub judice."
"...where the release of such information might, for example, harm someone's reputation or put them at undue risk."
"There has also been discussion and debate within the journalism community regarding appropriate reporting of suicide and mental health, particularly with regard to verbiage."
"Professional journalism associations and individual print, broadcast, and online news organizations."