Welcome
Ethics of Management
Presented to:
Habiba Rahman,
Assistant Professor & Chairperson,
Department of Television, Film and
Photography
University of Dhaka.
Presented by: Asrafun Naher
Roll: RK-048-001
Course: Broadcast and Film Production
Management (TFS 404)
Contents:
Ethics
Ethical Decision Making in the Media Industries
Challenges in Making Ethical Decision
Norms Used in Moral Decision Making
Ethical issues in Media Management
Ethical Codes and Mission Statements
Implementing an ethics program
Source:
Book: Management of Electronic and Digital Media, 6th Edition
Writer: Alan B. Albarren
 Ethics

Origin:
 Derived from the word ethos;
 Began nearly 2,500 years ago in ancient Greek society.
Characteristics:
 Involves the character and conduct of individuals and institutions.
 Reflects a society’s norms about what is morally right and wrong.
Ways of studying ethics:
 Empirical methods: Describe the particular moral values of a group or society;
 Normative ethics: Concerned with understanding the most relevant to a society.
 Ethical Decision Making in the Media Industries

Five ethical duties of mass media employees (Christians, Fackler,

Richardson, Kreshel, and Woods, 2009):
Duty to self;
Duty to the audience;
Duty to employer or organization;
Duty to professional colleagues;
Duty to society.
 Challenges in Making Ethical Decision
 Six factors that complicate the making of ethical decisions by managers (listed by
Hosmer):
 Extended consequences;
 Many alternatives;
 Mixed outcomes;
 Uncertain consequences;
 Personal implications;
 Means of making informed decisions.
 Norms Used in Moral Decision Making
Ethical Norms:
A set of theories derived from the study of ethics and ethical principles;
Form the basis of many of individual and societal beliefs;
Provide a philosophical foundation’
Widely used ethical norms:
The golden mean, the Judeo-Christian ethic, the categorical imperative,
utilitarianism, egalitarianism, relativism, and social responsibility theory.
  The Golden Mean
Source
 The Greek philosopher Aristotle.
Characteristics
Avoids excess and extremes;
Seeks moderation;
Adopts a middle position.
Examples
Balance and fairness in reporting
Maintaining objectivity in covering and reporting the news.
  The Judeo-Christian Ethic
Source: Bible
Ideas
 Respect and dignity for all people based on a universal love for God;
 Considering impact of the decisions.
Violation of the norm:
 Degrading or demoralizing content;
 Overrepresenting certain segments of society.
Example
 Providing greater diversity among the characters.
  The Categorical Imperative
Source
 The eighteenth-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant.
Ideas
 Act on those principles that can be applied universally;
 Based on principles underlying individual actions;
 Concerned more with the process of making an ethical decision than with the
outcome.
Example
 Determining the most morally defensible course of action to the most people.
  Utilitarianism
Source
John Stuart Mill
Period
The nineteenth century
Ideas
Considering actions which will result in the most happiness for the greatest number of people;
More concerned with the consequences of an ethical decision than with the process of decision making;
Known as “the greatest good” approach.
Example
Serving the needs of the majority of the public.
  Egalitarianism
Source
 John Rawls
Ideas
 Treating everyone equally and fairly when forming ethical judgments.
 Linked with the idea “veil of ignorance” through which an individual can
eliminate possible biases or discrimination.
Example
 Presenting all sides fairly and accurately in the presentation of news;
 Addressing diversity and demanding mutual respect in employment practices.
  Relativism/ Situational Ethics
Source
John Dewey and Bertrand Russell
John Dewey Bertrand Russell

Ideas
The best for one is not necessarily the best for another;
Examines ethical decisions in individual situations.
Example
Deciding the type of music to be played in a radio station;
Evaluating content along with the impact specially questionable content.
  Social Responsibility Theory

Source
 The Hutchins Commission
Ideas
 Making decision with good intentions/ to serve society;
 Engaging and expecting responsible behavior from all employees.
Example
 Exhibiting responsible behavior through programming and other areas.
 Deontological and Teleological Ethics
Deontological Ethics
Concerned with the process of making decisions based on established
principles;
Reflected in the works of Kant.
Teleological Ethics
Concerned with the actions or consequences of decisions.
 Ethical Codes and Mission Statements
(Defining business values publicly)
Codes of Ethics
 Produced by professional organizations;
 Suggestions for a universal ethical standard applied to journalism by Strentz
(2002): Use restraint, know thyself, respect others, and be accountable for your
actions.
Mission Statements
 Created by companies;
 Define the mission and reflect the organization’s sense of values.
 Ethical issues in Media Management
Four areas of ethical issues:
i. Serving the Market or the Marketplace;
ii. Controversies over Content;
iii. Ethics in News and Public Affairs;
iv. Ethics in Sales and Marketing.
  Serving the Market or the Marketplace

Tasks:
 Defining and serving the public interest;
 Maintaining a profitable business.
Conflict:
 Business interests vs audience.
Criticism:
 Unconcerned with meeting the needs of the audience after deregulation.
  Controversies over Content

Sexual Content:
 NYPD Blue in the 1990s; Daytime Soap Operas;
 Cable Networks ; Spanish Language Telenovelas.
 Indecency (Super Bowl halftime show, 2004).
Violence:
 Television programming; Cable Channels;
 Online Streaming Services; Video Games.
  Controversies over Content

Children’s Programming:
 Lack of good children’s programming since the 1960s.
Social Media Content:
 Tweet or Inflammatory Posting;
 Unfactual Photographs or Video.
  Ethics in News and Public Affairs

Questions of Truth and Accuracy

Dramatic recreation, biassed, inaccurate/intentional postings.
Right to Privacy
Being certain on the newsworthiness;
Giving special treatment to some areas like sexual assault, details of suicides.
Citizen Journalists
Verifying authenticity and maintaining integrity in utilizing UGC.
  Ethics in News and Public Affairs
Conflicts of Interest
 Avoidance must as impair the ability to report a story accurately,.
Confidentiality of Sources
 Maintaining confidentiality versus demand of the external forces.
Pressures from Advertisers
 Objection on the presentation of products or services negatively;
 Threaten to pull future advertising.
  Ethics in Sales and Marketing

Responsibility to the Audience

Maintaining the truth in all commercial announcements.
Responsibility to One’s Conscience
Exhibiting good ethical behavior.
Responsibility to Customers
Considering information privileged like a client’s outlook on advertising, budget,
goals, objectives, and primary competitors.
Being a professional representative at all times.
 Ethics in Sales and Marketing

Responsibility to Community
 Being a representative of communities like a global community, a
business community, an industry community, and a local community.
Responsibility to a Company
 Being loyal and using the firm’s assets wisely;
 Implementing an ethics program
A four-step plan offered by Hitt (2009) for implementing an ethics
program:
State the mission
Clarifying the purpose of the organization for both employees and
external publics;
Clarify the values of the organization
Clarifying values should be clear, understandable and publicly posted.
 Implementing an ethics program

Create a code of ethics

Clarifying the company’s position on ethical principles.
Develop an ethics program
Completing the necessary basic information, orienting all new
employees, conducting ethics seminars. Discussing ethical
issues and evaluating ethics program regularly.