PROJECT REPORT

ON
ANALYSIS ON MEDIA CASE WITH SOME ETHICAL
CONSIDERATION
IN THE COURSE
ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE
SUBMITTED BY
SYBMSD
SDMS001D, SDMS002D, SDMS003D, SDMS004D, SDMS005D
SEMESTER IV
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF
DR.SWETA MISHRA
ACADEMIC YEAR
2022 - 2023
SR TOPIC ROLL NAME PAGE
NO NO. NO.

1. INTRODUCTION 1 KARAN NEMARAM 3-4

CHOUDHARY

2. IMPORTANCE 4 YATRI BHAVIN DOSHI 5

3. REASONS WHY 3 KHUSHBU 6-7

EHICAL JABARSINGH DEVDA
CONSIDERATION
MUST BE DONE
4. ANALYSIS CASE 5 RUTU SAMIR GADA 8-10
STUDY

5. ETHICAL DO’S AND 2 TANUSHREE DEEPAK 11-12

DONT’S DATTANI

6. CONCLUSION 5 RUTU SAMIR GADA 13

7. BIBLIOGRAPHY 14
 INTRODUCTION

For any research investigation involving human subjects, there must be careful con-
sideration of ethical issues that may arise in the planning, conduct, and reporting of the study.
With very few exceptions, such research is not permitted unless the study has been approved
by at least one formal ethics review committee (ERC). All research funding agencies require
approval of the research by the appropriate ERC(s) before they will confirm an award for an
intervention study. Often ethical review will be re- quired from more than one such
committee, for example, by both an institutional and a national ethics review committee,
and/or in each of the countries involved in a trial. The ethics committee(s) will not only
review the study protocol but usually will require full details of the study plan and procedures
and will usually have specific application forms that must be completed. They may require
payment of an administration fee for considering an application, irrespective of the outcome
of the application. The commit- tee will pay particular attention to informed consent
documents and how consent to take part in the research will be obtained from potential study
participants. Any signifi- cant changes in the study plan, either before it starts or during the
conduct of the study, such as adding new objectives, extending the trial catchment area, or
adding/removing inclusion or exclusion criteria, require approval by the ERC.

It is important to recognize that the primary purpose of an intervention trial is not to benefit
the specific participants in the trial, but rather to obtain information about the effects of the
intervention that will inform decisions about whether the intervention should be introduced
on a widespread basis. Although trial participants may derive benefit, for example, they
might receive better medical care in the trial than they would with the normal medical
services, this is incidental to the main purposes of the trial.

In relation to news coverage it includes issues such as impartiality, objectivity, balance, bias,
privacy, and the public interest. More generally, it also includes stereotyping, taste and
decency, obscenity, freedom of speech, advertising practices such as product placement, and
legal issues such as defamation.
Ethical considerations in research are a set of principles that guide your research designs and
practices. Scientists and researchers must always adhere to a certain code of conduct when
collecting data from people.

The goals of human research often include understanding real-life phenomena, studying
effective treatments, investigating behaviors, and improving lives in other ways. What you
decide to research and how you conduct that research involve key ethical considerations.
 IMPORTANCE

Media Ethics is important in order to maintain a decent reputation within your industry,
generate content within media that is unbiased, and practice a code of ethics that acts in
alignment with your company's values

Media ethics promotes and defends values such as a universal respect for life and the rule of
law and legality. Media Ethics defines and deals with ethical questions about how media
should use texts and pictures provided by the citizens.

Media Ethics is important in order to maintain a decent reputation within your industry,
generate content within media that is unbiased, and practice a code of ethics that acts in
alignment with your company’s values. By following these guidelines your audience will be
able to build trust and you will generate brand awareness.

If you are interested in deepening your knowledge in media ethics in mass communication or
if you would like to become a journalist, writer, or art director you should consider looking
into Florida International University’s Global Strategic Communications Creative Track
program.
REASONS WHY ETHICAL CONSIDERATION MUST BE DONE:

News manipulation.

News can manipulate and be manipulated. Governments and corporations may attempt to
manipulate news media; governments, for example, by censorship, and corporations by share
ownership. The methods of manipulation are subtle and many. Manipulation may be
voluntary or involuntary. Those being manipulated may not be aware of this.

Truth

Truth may conflict with many other values.

* Public interest. Revelation of military secrets and other sensitive government information
may be contrary to the public interest, even if it is true. However, public interest is not a term
which is easy to define.

* Privacy. Salacious details of the lives of public figures is a central content element in many
media. Publication is not necessarily justified simply because the information is true. Privacy
is also a right, and one which conflicts with free speech. See: paparazzi.

* Fantasy. Fantasy is an element of entertainment, which is a legitimate goal of media

content. Journalism may mix fantasy and truth, with resulting ethical dilemmas. See: National
Enquirer, Jayson Blair scandal, Adnan Hajj photographs controversy.

* Taste. Photo journalists who cover war and disasters confront situations which may shock
the sensitivities of their audiences. For example, human remains are rarely screened. The
ethical issue is how far one risk shocking an audience’s sensitivities in order to correctly
should and fully report the truth. See photojournalism.

Conflict with the law.

Journalistic ethics may conflict with the law over issues such as the protection of confidential
news sources. There is also the question of the extent to which it is ethically acceptable to
break the law in order to obtain news. For example, undercover reporters may be engaging in
deception, trespass and similar torts and crimes. See undercover journalism, investigative
journalism.
Fluff or “Celebrity News”:

Over the years, print media has been dying out so journalists began to report on what is
referred to as “Celebrity News”, or “Fluff.” As more outlets adopt this topic to report on,
people become dependent on them. According to Alden Weight, most people know not to
completely trust these outlets due to ethical discrepancies, but the issue arises when people
who are not as mature or educated find these reports to be completely true.
 ANALYSIS

Case study on Impartiality, Justice, and Pragmatism in the Modern Newsroom

In June 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) revival after the murder of
George Floyd, journalists with Report for America were told by their director Alison Bethel
McKenzie that they could not wear a BLM T-shirt while out on assignment nor donate to
social media fundraisers for the movement (Thompson, 2020). Nearly a year later in May
2021, Emily Wilder was fired from her position as a rookie news associate with the
Associated Press after only 3-weeks when pro-Palestinian posts from her college days
surfaced on Twitter (Nashrulla, 2021). These incidents and many more like them illustrate an
increasingly prevalent and controversial issue in the field of journalism: activism. As various
social movements have gained significant traction over the last decade, more and more
citizens have added their voices to combat injustice – but what if some of those citizens
speaking out are supposed to be impartial reporters by profession? Can (or should) journalists
also be activists?

The traditional answer to this question is simple: no. For example, organizations like The
Radio, Television, and Digital News Foundation believe that “political activity and active
advocacy can undercut the real or perceived independence of those who practice journalism”
(“Code of Ethics,” RTDNF). Indeed, readers may be reluctant to read an article from an
outspoken journalist for fear of distortion of facts; the worry is that their taking of sides might
compromise the reporting of unvarnished truth. Such a state of affairs is dangerous because it
can lead to a less informed populace if consumers distrust the integrity of journalists or the
credibility of their publications. Given the fact that we are living “in an era of fake news,
click-bait journalism,” and the spread of misinformation, freelance journalists Deepak
Adhikari has argued that “the need for [balanced, objective, and evidence-based] professional
journalism has never been more urgent” (Adhikari, 2017). Importantly, the question of
journalist participation in activism goes beyond the reputation of any individual reporter
because “participation will impact their colleagues” and may reflect poorly on the entire
institution (McBride, 2021). This implication has led outlets like The Washington Post to
implement strict Ethics Codes which instruct their journalists to “avoid active involvement in
any partisan causes —politics, community affairs, social action, demonstrations— that could
compromise or seem to compromise our ability to report and edit fairly” (“Policies and
Standards”).

Conversely, others have recently shifted toward the idea that it may not only be allowable,
but perhaps even advisable, for reporters to engage in activism. Laura Wagner, a journalist
with Defector, has argued that journalism needs to abandon the “unreasonable and hideously
stupid expectation that reporters must harbour no strong opinions about the things they care
about” (Kafka, 2021). Regardless of

their profession, journalists are still citizens with a right to express their views, and
institutions that require strict impartiality (including outside of the newsrooms on personal
social media accounts) are infringing on individual freedom of speech. By disallowing them
from standing up for what they believe in, journalists are put in an unfair position to choose
between what they view as right and keeping their jobs. If anything, an argument could be
made that journalists being outspoken about their political beliefs only enhances their
transparency, rather than pretending to be a blank slate with a press pass. Moreover,
concerning the bigger picture of social movements overall, organizations like Buzz Feed
News have argued that attempting to prioritize objectivity over justice only leads to
privileging oppressive views. They state: “We firmly believe that for a number of issues,
including civil rights, women’s rights, anti-racism, and LGBT equality, there are not two
sides” (Hilton, 2015). Some, like University of Oregon journalist Kiva Hanson, even contend
that “Journalism has been activism since its inception” (Hanson). Invoking examples like
famous journalist Ida B. Wells, co-founder of the NAACP who meticulously documented
violence against African Americans, Hanson argues that it is “journalists [who have]
continually exposed massive injustices within schools, governments and businesses”
(Hanson).

Another view has emerged trying to balance both the ability of reporters to engage in
activism with the practical concerns of practicing professional journalism. For example,
Axios announced that their writers were allowed to participate in BLM protests under the
protection of free speech, but the co-founder Jim VandeHei also indicated “he did not intend
his note to actively encourage marching in protests… [and] reminded the staff that the
company’s reporters still need sources to open up to them, and that appearing to take one side
could jeopardize their position” (Lee and Smith, 2020). Furthermore, though Report for
America’s McKenzie has personally experienced racism “both on and off the job,” she “urges
conflicted journalists to consider” that there are already plenty of citizens on social media
advocating for just causes but not enough journalists of color covering them (Thompson,
2020). In this sense, she reasons that it is more important for people like herself to hold onto
their institutional positions rather than risk their jobs or their credibility with the public
(Thompson, 2020). While these arguments do not attempt to paint journalist activism as
inappropriate, they do point to the need to consider pragmatism as well as ethics.

The controversial demise of Kalabhavan Mani.

Media trial in Kerala reached its peak with the controversial demise of Kalabhavan Mani.
Mani was hospitalized for the liver ailment and passed away at a hospital in Kochi. Lab
reports confirmed the presence of highly toxic methanol in his body. Media has given a
different dimension to the death of Kalabhavan Mani. The question arises whether it was a
murder or normal death. The case was sub judice. So many allegations have arisen against
co-film stars in media. Even if the case was not taken against any of them they were treated
as accused or convict. The use of sensationalism and exaggeration is very high in this case.
The major source of this news is police officers named. And then unnamed sources, people
etc. CBI took over the probe in Kalabhavan Mani’s death (Correspondent, 2017). So many
co-film stars were also trailed by the media. This media report creates ambiguity among the
public.

While analysing we can say that media stood against the accused. They treated the accused as
the culprit. While.readung the news stories the people will think that the accused has done a
crime. Sensationalism and exaggertation are commonly used in these media news reports.
Media is also being biased.
 ETHICAL DO’S AND DONT’S

The fundamental rules of interacting with the media as well as the general public in both
digital and non-digital spaces are designed to protect client interests while promoting honesty
and impartiality in the legal system. When considered through this lens of fundamental
fairness, the ethics of social media activity and media interactions can become much less
intimidating for the average lawyer. However, a few extra tips never hurt anybody!

Here are some of our suggestions on ways to avoid inadvertently running afoul of your
professional obligations, especially when dealing with the media activity that may follow
high-profile litigation.

Avoid:

Anonymous social media posts or comments when acting professionally. If you cannot say it
with your name attached, you probably should not be saying it at all. Additionally, obscuring
your identity increases the risk that you will inadvertently run afoul of the rules prohibiting
misleading interactions with clients and others.

Partial truths or comments that omit integral facts. While you certainly need to protect client
confidentiality and should not share information without informed consent, only sharing
partial truths could also get you into hot water when it comes to your ethical obligations.

“Friending” judges, parties, and witnesses. While some may disagree about the best ways to
manage your professional network and personal relationships online, a good rule of thumb is
to avoid being social media friends with judges handling your case(s), parties in litigated
matters, and possible witnesses. This helps avoid any appearances of impropriety or accidents
in your matter. As a bonus, this course of action can also help you avoid some potential
ethical issues surrounding evidence found on social media because some jurisdictions and bar
associations have found that it is unethical to engage in predatory friending or use evidence
found on social media but that was not made publicly available. (See: Philadelphia Bar
Association Opinion 2009-2)
Commenting on active matters. When in doubt, avoid offering public comments on your
active matters. Where there are certainly exceptions to every rule and the model rules offer
spaces where a lawyer may indeed publicly comment online and in-person about matters,
avoiding these comments unless absolutely necessary can help you avoid running afoul of a
professional obligation.

Do:

Be transparent. Always try to be transparent about where you are licensed and your role in
any matter. Do not try to hide the ball when it comes to your identity or non-confidential
professional activities.

Keep legal discussions general. Ideally, you should keep any conversation you engage in
about legal issues informational. Avoid inadvertently creating client relationships or
misleading people about your role in an issue. Do not be afraid to include disclaimers as
needed.

Encourage your office staff to exercise caution. If you could not engage in the conduct as an
attorney, you should also encourage your staff to avoid engaging in that conduct too.
Paralegals, secretaries, and other office staff should be educated on permissible actions and
interactions so that they do not inadvertently cause you to run afoul of your professional
obligations through their personal conduct.

Get client consent. If you intend to share information about a matter on your social media
accounts or if you are considering making a statement about a matter to the traditional media,
be sure you have discussed the plan with your client and have their full consent to publicly
discuss the matter so you do not breach any duties of confidentiality.
 CONCLUSION

Indeed, as discussed in the section related to worrying developments, the Indian News Media
seems to be failing the basic function of being a custodian of democracy by reporting news
and views as the demands of fairness and impartiality are concerned. Instead, what passes off
for news is simply advertorials where paid news dominates.

This is indeed a sad state of affairs given the rich history and legacy of the pioneers of Indian
Journalism. To conclude, it is the hope and the work done by the Indian Media Industry that
should ultimately keep it going despite recent trends that indicate otherwise.

In the end, journalists will only continue to face many ethical dilemmas regarding their
profession and their desire to support social justice movements. Going forward, both
individual reporters and media outlets will need to continually review (and potentially re-
evaluate) their personal, professional, and institutional Code of Ethics. While some
journalists may decide to move to independent reporting for more freedom, some
organizations may decide to set new precedents for journalism in the modern age. Ultimately,
only time will tell.

From the findings of the study we can conclude that media trials are very common in India.
Many sensitive cases are trialed by media. Media blamed the accused as culprits and
tarnished their image while the trail was conducting in court. Contempt of the court was
never charged against media in any of the above cases. Strict regulations have to be made
against media trials. Let us remind of our countries basic concept of Jurisprudence that the
100 culprits may let go free but no innocent should be punished.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://commercemates.com/importance-of-business-ethics/

https://membersolutions.com/blog/dos-and-donts-business-ethics/

https://www.computer.org/csdl/proceedings-
article/rethics/2020/835000a015/1nYsPs1sDVC

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353945846_Media_Trials_An_An
alysis_of_Ethical_Issues

https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Field_Trials_of_Health_Int
erventions_-
_A_Toolbox_(Smith_Morrow_and_Ross)/06%3A_Ethical_considerations/6
.01%3A_Introduction_to_ethical_considerations

https://mediaengagement.org/research/can-journalists-also-be-activists/