Reading Report

Student Name: Daniela Hernández Miranda

Student File: 00423598

Book/Magazine: Presentation: Ethics and quality of communication and entertainment

Chapter/Article: 1
Author: Javier Montaño Navarro
Session: Date: 18/01/2024 Pages:
Year: 2024 Editorial: Country: Mexico

Key Points

1. Ethics and morality are not the same, despite being used in similar situations.
2. Values and virtues
3. Truth is a basic value in human relations
4. We must communicate the truth
5.

Summary

There are a number of things I could say I learned from this presentation, however the
most surprising lesson that I got from reading the material came to me once I finished and
started reflecting on everything I had read and heard from the given videos. In brief, it was
shocking to me seeing how little I knew from the main subjects because terms such as
ethics and morality are often used in our daily lives, therefore I believed I used them
properly. Nevertheless, when reading the theory, I realized that these concepts are often
misused and misunderstood, not only by me, but also by many others.
This being said, after reviewing the class material, I learned that ethics and morality
are two interconnected yet different concepts that play an important role in shaping human
behavior. To be clearer, ethics represents the theoretical aspect or the thought behind
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moral principles, whereas morality is the practical aspect of the principles, meaning that it
is the way one lives their daily life.
Now, in both the presentation and the videos, it is stated that there are several
definitions for ethics. Some are academic definitions while others are more philosophical.
Nonetheless, it is fair to say that ethics, as a branch of philosophy, is the pursuit of good
and personal fulfillment in harmony with others by balancing individual values with society
norms. But also, this terms studies moral principles which tell us how to differentiate right
from wrong. Having said this, it is essential to add that values and virtues play a
fundamental role in the subject of ethics and morality, since they serve as building blocks
that shape individual behavior and social standards. In other words, they serve as guiding
principles that influence decision making, defines how we act and therefore, contributes to
the overall ethical landscape of our society. So, it is crucial to understand the correlation
between values, virtues, ethics and moral if we want to comprehend how us as human
beings use our moral principles and contribute to broader the ethical framework.
On the other hand, it is worth emphasizing another subject that was brought up in
the presentation and that is the subject of truth. The class material highlights the
importance of truth as a virtue and value in human communication. In summary,
communicating truthfully is important because it is a foundational principle for fostering
trust, credibility, accountability and therefore an ethical conduct. In the presentation it is
mentioned that a truthful communication is indispensable for professions such as
journalism; those working in this field even follow an ethical commitment which says that
they must respect the truth. However, communicating truthfully is not only important for
journalist but also for every other proficiency in the world.
Finally, speaking of communication, another lesson learned from the class material
was the importance that holds the quality of communication and entertainment in the
cultural identity of a country and its people. Here, the phenomenon of globalization comes
in the picture because the exchange of goods, information, knowledge, culture and more
has influenced the identity of each society. To dive a little bit more into this subject, it must
be clear that globalization is a factor that has evolved side by side with human history, and
while it can be a positive thing, it can also be negative in some cases. To be more precise,
let’s set the example of Mexico; our country’s proximity to the United States has made it

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natural for us Mexicans to be highly influenced by the American culture. This is sometimes
beneficial when we speak of exchange of goods, product and such, but in other occasions
it can feel like the cultural identity of our country is getting washed of. In other words, our
cultural identity is each time more and more homogeneous. Nevertheless, in these cases
it is almost impossible for the country’s culture to be entirely lost because society reacts,
promoting their identity as a result of their need to search for belonging.
Without further ado, I conclude this report by stating that the exploration of ethics,
morality, truth and cultural identity, in the presented material has been an enlightening
journey. Clearly, the most surprising revelation for me came during the reflection on the
seemingly familiar concepts of ethics and morality. The realization that these terms are
often misused and misunderstood, not only by the reader but also by many other
underscores that need a deeper understanding of this. However, I also enjoyed learning
about cultural identity and the importance of communication, essentially because they are
crucial lesson for my professional development. Therefore, I plan to take them with me and
implement these learnings in my future work life.

Additional questions to be solved:

1. Did you like the reading, whether or not and why?

I did like the reading because it made me realize the correct ways to use both terms
morality and ethics. Plus, I enjoy all subjects that bring us closer to having a connection
with our moral and ethical sense, meaning what is right or wrong and why.

2. What is the main learning from the reading for you?

The biggest lesson for me personally was understanding the difference between ethics
and morality, because I realize now that I use to mix and misunderstand the true
concept of both words. So, I hope that from now on I will be able to use both terms
correctly to support my arguments.

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3. What immediate application can you give in your work or in your personal life of that
main learning?
I can’t think of an exact memory or circumstance, but I know that I’ve found myself in
situations where I’m being critical and my argument loses strength because I can’t
differentiate if the problem lies in the morality or the ethical aspect of it.

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