📱Media Strategy Unit 13 – Ethical Considerations in Media Strategy

Key Concepts in Media Ethics

• Media ethics encompasses the moral principles and standards that guide media professionals in their work
• Ethical considerations in media include accuracy, fairness, respect for privacy, and avoiding conflicts of interest
• Media professionals have a responsibility to serve the public interest and promote the free exchange of ideas
• Ethical decision-making in media requires balancing competing values and priorities (newsworthiness vs. privacy)
• Media ethics codes provide guidelines for professional conduct, but individual judgment is also important
  • Examples of media ethics codes include the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics and the Radio Television Digital News Association Code of Ethics
• Ethical lapses in media can erode public trust and credibility, damaging the reputation of media organizations and the profession as a whole (fabrication of sources, plagiarism)
• Technological changes and the rise of digital media have created new ethical challenges and gray areas for media professionals to navigate

Ethical Frameworks for Decision Making

• Deontological ethics focuses on the inherent rightness or wrongness of actions based on moral rules or duties
  • Emphasizes following universal principles regardless of consequences (telling the truth, respecting privacy)
• Consequentialist ethics judges the morality of actions based on their outcomes or consequences
  • Utilitarianism seeks to maximize overall happiness or well-being for the greatest number of people
• Virtue ethics emphasizes moral character and the cultivation of virtues such as honesty, compassion, and integrity
• Care ethics prioritizes empathy, compassion, and attentiveness to relationships and responsibilities
• Ethical egoism holds that moral agents ought to do what is in their own self-interest
• Ethical relativism maintains that moral judgments are relative to individual or cultural beliefs and norms
• Media strategists can draw on multiple ethical frameworks to reason through complex moral dilemmas and make justifiable decisions

Legal vs. Ethical Considerations

• Laws establish minimum standards of conduct and provide a framework for resolving disputes in media (libel, copyright, FCC regulations)
• Ethics goes beyond legal compliance to consider what is morally right or wrong, even if it is legally permissible
• Legal and ethical considerations may sometimes conflict, requiring media professionals to make difficult judgments (protecting confidential sources)
• Ethical principles are often codified into industry standards and best practices, but not always enforced by law
• Media organizations can face legal consequences for violating laws, but ethical lapses can also result in reputational damage and loss of public trust
• Ethical decision-making requires considering not just what is legally allowed, but what is morally justifiable and socially responsible
• Media strategists need to navigate both legal and ethical considerations in their work, striving to meet the highest standards of professional conduct

Privacy and Data Ethics in Media

• Media organizations have a responsibility to respect individual privacy rights and protect personal data
• Ethical collection and use of data requires transparency, consent, and appropriate safeguards against misuse
• The rise of big data and targeted advertising raises concerns about surveillance, profiling, and manipulation
  • Microtargeting can be used to exploit vulnerabilities or discriminate against certain groups
• Balancing personalization and privacy is a key challenge for media strategists in the digital age
• Ethical data practices include minimizing data collection, anonymizing data, and providing clear opt-out mechanisms
• Media organizations should have robust data governance policies and procedures to ensure ethical and secure data handling
• Emerging technologies such as facial recognition and location tracking pose new risks to individual privacy in media contexts
• Media strategists need to consider the long-term implications of data-driven practices for individual autonomy and social equity

Representation and Diversity in Media Strategy

• Media has the power to shape public perceptions and cultural norms around identity, diversity, and inclusion
• Ethical media representation avoids stereotyping, tokenism, and erasure of marginalized groups
• Inclusive media strategy requires diversity both in front of and behind the camera, in decision-making roles
• Authentic representation means moving beyond surface-level diversity to depict the nuances and complexities of diverse identities
• Media strategists should consider the social impact of their content and strive to promote equity and understanding
  • Positive examples include campaigns that challenge gender norms or feature underrepresented voices
• Lack of diversity in media can contribute to cultural biases, discrimination, and social inequality
• Ethical media strategists have a responsibility to amplify diverse voices and perspectives, not just reflect the dominant culture
• Inclusive media practices require ongoing learning, humility, and accountability to marginalized communities

Transparency and Disclosure in Advertising

• Ethical advertising is truthful, transparent, and avoids deceptive or misleading claims
• Advertisers have a responsibility to disclose relevant information about products, services, and promotional practices
  • This includes disclosing paid endorsements, affiliate relationships, and sponsored content
• Transparency helps consumers make informed decisions and maintains trust in the advertising ecosystem
• Misleading advertising can violate consumer protection laws and result in legal and financial penalties
• Ethical challenges arise with newer forms of advertising such as native ads, influencer marketing, and programmatic advertising
• Disclosure practices should be clear, conspicuous, and easily understandable to the average consumer
• Media strategists need to balance creativity and persuasion with honesty and accountability in advertising campaigns
• Self-regulatory bodies such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provide guidelines for ethical advertising practices

Ethical Challenges in Digital and Social Media

• Digital media has blurred the lines between content creators, advertisers, and audiences, creating new ethical gray areas
• Social media platforms have a responsibility to combat misinformation, hate speech, and online harassment
  • This requires balancing free speech with content moderation and community standards
• Algorithmic bias and filter bubbles can reinforce existing inequalities and limit exposure to diverse perspectives
• Attention-driven business models incentivize sensationalism, polarization, and addictive design practices
• Influencer marketing raises questions about authenticity, transparency, and consumer exploitation
• Digital media enables new forms of surveillance, data mining, and behavioral targeting that can compromise individual privacy
• Media strategists need to consider the ethical implications of emerging technologies such as deepfakes, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence
• Ethical social media practices require empathy, respect for user autonomy, and a commitment to accuracy and integrity

Case Studies: Ethical Dilemmas in Media Campaigns

• The Pepsi-Kendall Jenner ad controversy highlighted the risks of co-opting social justice movements for commercial gain
• The Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed the dangers of unethical data harvesting and psychographic targeting in political campaigns
• The Fyre Festival fiasco showed the consequences of deceptive influencer marketing and overpromising on social media
• The "Fearless Girl" statue campaign sparked debates about corporate feminism, authenticity, and the role of public art in advertising
• The YouTube "Adpocalypse" raised questions about brand safety, content moderation, and advertiser responsibility on digital platforms
• The Dove "Real Beauty" campaign was praised for challenging beauty standards, but also criticized for reinforcing narrow ideals of femininity
• The Kony 2012 viral video campaign demonstrated the power and pitfalls of viral activism and oversimplified narratives in social media advocacy
• These case studies illustrate the complex ethical trade-offs and unintended consequences that can arise in media campaigns, even with good intentions