Media Ethics

Should journalists be impartial and objective? What do these notions mean? How should the public's right-to-know be balanced against an individual's right to privacy? How should the media be regulated? Who should have the power to ban a television programme on the grounds that it is offensive or possibly harmful? Is there justification for spin doctors and cheque book journalism? The role and responsibilities of the media have become an increasingly important part of public debate. Media Ethics brings together philosophers, academics and media professionals to debate pressing ethical and moral questions for journalists and the media and to examine basic notions such as truth, virtue, privacy, rights, offence, harm and freedom which are used in answering them. The contributors explore questions of impartiality and objectivity, the ethics of political journalism, the regulation of privacy and media intrusion and the justification of censorship. They discuss the relationship between journalism and public relations, war reporting and military propaganda in the Gulf War, media portrayals of sex and violence, photojournalism and the tabloid press. Media Ethics included a chapter by Martin Bell on responsible journalism and war reporting in Bosnia.