Lecture 5

Ethical Decision-making
Model and Framework
Potter Box Model

Potter Box
Harvard theologian Ralph Potter
developed the model for ethical decisionmaking which is widely known as Potter
Box;
It suggests that you should go through
four steps to arrive at an ethical judgment;

Potter Box
The four steps are: 1) Understanding the
facts; 2) outlining the values inherent in
the decision; 3) applying relevant
philosophical principles, and 4) articulating
a loyalty;
Facts Values Principles Loyalties

Potter Box
Step 1:
- Understanding the facts of the case.
- In some cases the facts are
straightforward but the ethical choice rests
with how much of it you are going to print;

Potter Box
Step 2:
- Outlining values. Values is a much abused
word in modern English. People can value
everything from their loved ones to making
fashion statement;

Potter Box
In ethics, however, the word values takes
on a more precise meaning;
In this sense, when you value somethingan idea or a principle it means you are
willing to give up other things for it;
If, as a journalist, you value truth above all
things, then you must sometimes be
willing to give up privacy in favour of it;

Potter Box
If, as a journalist, you value both truth and
privacy, then you may be willing to give up
some truth to attempt to preserve victims
privacy;

Does it ethical?
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ajxwr_
%E0%A6%AE-%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%AE-%E0%A7%9F-%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%B9-%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%AC-%E0%A6%AE-%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%A8-last-part-6-bangla-crimeprogram-chargesheet-report-2014_shortfilms
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bengali/news/2015/02/150
218_rh_rubel_happy

Potter Box
Truth and privacy are lofty ideas, and
an important element of using the
Potter Box is to be honest what you
really do value;
Most of us value keeping our jobs,
journalist often value getting the story
first;

Potter Box

Step 3:
- Applications of philosophical
principles.
- Once you have decided what you
value, you need then to apply the
philosophical principles;

Potter Box
A journalist has duties both to the readers
and to the victim and they must be
weighed before making a decision;
Aristotles golden mean would counsel a
middle ground that balances printing every
detail against printing no story at all;

Potter Box
The newspaper should print some
story, but not one that
unconsciously reveals the victims
identity

Daily Jugantor

Potter Box
Step 4:
- Articulation of loyalties. Potter, too, viewed
loyalty as a social commitment and use of
the Potter Box will reflect that sort of ethic;
In the fourth step, you need to articulate
your loyalties and to decide whether any
of them conflict;

Potter Box
You may have a loyalty to telling the truth,
to altering the community to a potential
danger, to protecting of individual privacy,
or to doing your job well;
Again, your loyalties are not in severe
conflict with one another unless you adopt
an absolutist view of the truth the
community needs to know.