COMM 3353: Communication Web Technologies I

1. COMM 3353:Communication Web Technologies I • Chapter 11a: • Ethics and Legal Issues www.class.uh.edu/comm/classes/comm3353/ppt/_Pres11a.html

2. Ethics and Legal Issues • Ethics and Ethical Behavior • Ethics and the Mass Media • Ethical Perspectives

3. Ethics and Ethical Behavior • Ethics: • Guidelines for decision making by people that influence behavior. • Behavior: • Series of choices between alternative actions. • Are there good and bad decisions? • Are people’s behaviors fundamentally good or bad? • What would happen without Law, Morals?

4. Ethics and Ethical Behavior, Continued… • There are no good and bad decisions, just good and bad choices. • Ethics always (except in abnormal psychology) plays into the human decision making process. • Ethics does not, however, always dictate behavior. • What is Ethical Behavior?

5. Ethics and Ethical Behavior, Continued… • Ethical behavior is not standardized. • No rigid standard for measurement. • Most people think about ethics when making behavioral decisions. • If I stay up late, then. . . • If I don’t do my homework, then . . . • If I clean up the garage now, then . . . • Most people don’t consciously think about ethics when making random, quick decisions: • If I get the mail, then. . .

6. Ethics and Ethical Behavior, Continued… • Evolution of the Ethics Impression on the Human Experience: • Toddlers and Young Children: • More intuitive choices. • Not much gray area (clear cut choices). • Bad Behavior: • Hurt another child or Stealing. • Good Behavior: • Sharing and being considerate to others.

7. Ethics and Ethical Behavior, Continued… • Adolescents and Teenagers: • Less intuitive choices. • Choices are not clear cut. • Bad Behavior: • Hurt another child, except if I’m being hurt. • Good Behavior: • Sharing and being considerate to others, unless by sharing I’d go without -or- being considerate might get me into trouble.

8. Ethics and Ethical Behavior, Continued… • Mature Individuals (Adults): • Complex choices. • Choices are filled with gray matter. • Bad Behavior: • Hurt another individual, unless my life’s in danger. • Good Behavior: • Sharing knowledge and material goods with others, when in the position to do so.

9. Ethics and the Mass Media • The Internet and WWW have remained unregulated since the early 1980’s. • Reagan Administration’s push for self-standardization and governing by the internet community and marketplace. • But. . . • What does it mean to be unregulated?

10. Ethics and the Mass Media, Continued… • Telecommunications Act of 1996: • An update to the Communications Act of 1934. • Encourages competition in the online marketplace while relaxing some of the governmental restrictions currently in place for broadcast and print media ownership. • Isn’t this regulation? • It’s all about money. . .

11. Ethics and the Mass Media, Continued… • Telecom. Act of ‘96’s primary components: • Fin-Syn Rules (Financial Syndication) • Pre 1991: Rules preventing TV networks from producing and selling their own programs. • Now: total production / sales freedom. • Networks can decide whether or not to sell their productions to other networks. • Even though the network would realize a lack of profit from the sales, advertising would still generate some income. • Only financially sustainable by the larger networks. • Ethical Challenge: The ability to control competition.

12. Ethics and the Mass Media, Continued… • Station Ownership • Pre 1991: The number of RTV stations that could be owned by a single entity was severely restricted. • FCC wanted to diversify ownership. • Would lead to diversity in editorial opinion. • Now: Can now own up to 35% of the total market, and one-station-per-market rule has been relaxed. • No current national limits on the number of Radio stations that can be owned by a single entity, but there are some local limitations. • Ethical Challenge: Being “fair” in the market place.

13. Ethics and the Mass Media, Continued… • Ethical Guidelines • Without specific laws and regulations governing internet behavior, Mass Media has begun to regulate itself: • Self-regulation • Establishes ethical guidelines to help direct behavior in ways that are appropriate. • For the organization. • For Individuals within an organization. • For people who engage in business practices with the Organization. • For the Audience.

14. Ethical Perspectives • The two main ethical perspectives used by theorists and media practitioners in Mass Media: • Deontological: (Gr. Deon, or “Duty”) • Views ethics from a purely moral standpoint. • Human behavior should be guided by moral principle, obtained through religion, human conscience, reason, or society. • Good behavior comes from a set of good rules. • Outcomes or results of actions are not considered. • There’s always some benefit somewhere. . .

15. Ethical Perspectives, Continued… • Deontological, Continued. . . • “Categorical Imperative,” Immanuel Kant. • Dictates that proper behavior comes from acting on principles that you would want to become universal law. • (e.g. “Golden Rule)

16. Ethical Perspectives, Continued… • Teleological Perspective: (Gr. Teleos, “Result”) • Views the “rightness” or “wrongness” of behavior based on the results of that behavior. • Behaviors that result in overall good for society are considered ethical and moral. • Behaviors may be right in some situations and wrong in others, depending on their outcomes. • (e.g.: Utilitarianism, or the aim of an action should be the largest possible balance of pleasure over pain, or the greatest happiness for the greatest number).

17. Ethical Perspectives, Continued… • Internet publishing is often guided by the conscience of the individual at the keyboard. • Not by rules, law, or professional ethics. • Professionalism perception of a “name.” • (e.g.: NY Times, CNN, etc.) • Should the Internet be protected by the First Amendment? • Humans and the search for truth. • Ability to weed-out the crap.

18. Ethical Perspectives, Continued… • Ethics in Corporate Marketing: • Do Corporations lie to make themselves appear better than they really are? • Environmental Issues: • Humanitarian Issues: • Do major organizations and “Big Business” have a moral or ethical obligation to help society. • If yes, why? • If not, why do it?

19. Ethical Perspectives, Continued… • What about Mass Media and Internet News Technology? • OJ Trial • Suicide • Who determines what news benefits or hurts society? • Is the Mass Media really out to “help” society? • It’s all about money! • Environmental and Humanitarian Issues: • Starving children abroad vs. starving children here at home. . .

20. Ethical Perspectives, Continued… • Ethics and Ethical Behavior comes from within, and any attempt to regulate ethics would be futile. • Controversial Issues: • Abortion • Legalization of Marijuana • The Speed Limit

21. Ethical Perspectives, Continued… • The Bottom Line: • Human beings want to do good, but finding “good” can be difficult when faced with challenging and “gray” choices. • Who decides right and wrong, anyhow?

22. The Internet and theWorld Wide Web End Chapter 11, Part I.