Transcript Intro to Ethics

Intro to Ethics
Ethics
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The branch of philosophy that deals with
right and wrong
System of moral principles
Ethical conduct is the best defense against
censorship
What is censorship?
Censorship
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Occurs when officials prevent the printing
or broadcasting of material they consider
objectionable
“A country that tolerates censorship of the
press cannot truly be free.”
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David Kennedy, president of the American
Society of Journalists and Authors
What does this mean?
Article I—Constitution
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“Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or speech, or of
the press; or of the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
government for a redress of grievances.”
Not all speech is free
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Fist Amendment gives great opportunity to
speak and write
Does not protect EVERYTHING
Schools are very different in what they can
allow their media to say and write
Speech NOT Protected
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Obscenity
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Material that offends the local community
standards and lacks any serious artistic
purpose
Fighting Words
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Racial, ethnic, gender, or religious insults
School officials are permitted to ban them
from campus
This includes gang clothing
Speech NOT Protected
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Invasion of Privacy
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Copyright Violations
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Student’s academic and medical records are
confidential
Any kind of plagiarism is a violation of
copyright law
Libel
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False information that damages someone’s
reputation (printed or broadcast)
Steps to Avoid Libel
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Check and recheck all facts
Find more than one source before
publishing material that could be viewed
as damaging
Remember that fairness dictates that
reporter contact the individual about
whom they are writing
Answers to Worksheet
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Composite characters: fictional characters a news writer
creates by using characteristics of real people.
Right of Reply: (simultaneous rebuttal) permitting a
person criticized in a story to respond to that criticism in
the same story
Plagiarism: taking and using as one’s own the writings or
inventions of another person
Privileged statements: statements made on the floor of
Congress, the state legislature or a courtroom that, if
published, are immune from libel suits.
Answers (cont)
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Fair comment: a libel defense protecting a journalist’s
opinion of a public figure or review of books, records,
etc.
Prior restraint: censorship, or restraint in advance of
publication; almost always illegal.
Credibility: the ability to be believed and trusted
Objectivity: ability to make fair, neutral observations
about people and events
In loco parentis: the legal idea that school authorities
acting “in place of the parent”
Forum Theory: the idea that once a forum or place
where ideas are exchanged, is created, the ideas
expressed there cannot later be controlled