Media Ethics
JAMS 361
Section 001
Spring 2016
9:30-10:45 a.m. MW
LUB S185
(Draft)
David S. Allen
576 Bolton Hall
229-4619
email: dsallen@uwm.edu
Office hours: 2-3 p.m. MW and by appointment.
Course Objectives
This course is intended to aid students in analyzing ethical problems in news, as
well as persuasive and entertainment media. Perhaps more importantly, however, this
course is intended to move beyond the level of analysis and toward the goal of providing
students with a moral framework for making decisions.
In an effort to meet this goal, this course attempts to aid students in examining
their own values by introducing students to ethical and political theory and asking
students to apply those theories to specific cases and situations. The goal of this course is
not to force students to change their values, but to allow students to develop an
understanding of the values that guide their lives and how those values influence their
decision-making. By the end of the semester, it is hoped that students will have
developed their critical abilities to recognize and be sensitive to ethical problems and will
have gained a foundational understanding of ethical and political theory that can be used
to guide dilemmas that confront media practitioners and citizens.
GER Credit in Humanities
This course satisfies distribution requirements for the Humanities in several
categories. Assessment of each of these categories is done through the evaluation of
writing assignments, the development of case-study projects, exams, online discussion
forums, individual meetings with students, and end-of-the-semester analysis.1
(a): Students are required to used ethical theory to support arguments and make
decisions, as well as the critical use of sources and the evaluation of evidence in
constructing case studies.
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The average student should expect to devote about 145.5 hours during the semester to this class. Please
note that some students might need to devote more than that average to meet the learning outcomes. This
total includes about 27.5 hours devoted to classroom learning, about 35 hours to online reading and/or
listening to lecture or other material, about 4 hours engaged in discussions outside of class, about 4 hours
taking exams, about 35 hours completing required assignments, and about 40 hours for course preparation
and study.
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(b): This course increases the student’s capacity for understanding the formation of
ethical concepts and the way that values are manifested in diverse frameworks. The
course helps students understand the formation of values within society and the media’s
role in that formation.
(c): This course introduces students to a variety of ethical and political theories that
students are required to use to support their decisions.
(d): This course increases a student’s sensitivity to use of language and visual images in
media content.
Texts and Readings
There is one required text for this class. It is: Michael J. Sandel, Justice: What’s
The Right Thing To Do? (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009) (ISBN: 978-0374-18065-2; $15 in paperback; you can find more affordable used copies.)
In addition, there are a number of readings for this class. All of the following are
available on this course’s Desire 2 Learn (D2L) site in the content section:
Baker, C. Edwin. “Different Democracies and Their Media.” Chap. in Media, Markets,
and Democracy. New York: Cambridge University Press (2002): pp. 129-153.
Boorstin, Daniel J. “A History of the Image: From Pseudo-Event to Virtual Reality,”
New Perspectives Quarterly, 11 (Summer 1994): 16-21.
Bowman, Patricia. “A personal account: Media treatment evolved into an assault in
itself,” Newspaper Coverage of Rape: Dilemmas on deadline, Fort Worth, Texas:
Texas Christian University (1994): 28-31.
Christians, Clifford G., et al., “Ethical Foundations and Perspectives,” chap. in Media
Ethics: Cases and Moral Reasoning, 8th ed., Boston: Pearson (2009): 1-33.
Epstein, Edward Jay. “Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond?” Atlantic Monthly
(February 1982): 371-382.
Ewen, Stuart. “Coda,” chap. in PR! A Social History of Spin, New York: Basic Books
(1996): 399-414.
Ewen, Stuart. “Consumption and Seduction,” chap. in Captains of Consciousness:
Advertising and the Social Roots of the Consumer Culture, New York: McGrawHill (1976): 177-184.
Gardner, Howard, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and William Damon. “The Conditions of
Good Work.” Chap. in Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet. New
York: Basic Books (2001): pp. 15-36.
Kleiner, Art. “Master of the Sentimental Sell,” The New York Times Magazine
(December 14, 1986): 52-54.
Mooallem, Jon. “Schlock and Awwww,” Mother Jones, November/December 2007, pp.
79-81.
Romano, Carlin. “The Grisly Truth about Bare Facts,” chap. in Reading The News, eds.
Robert Karl Manoff and Michael Schudson, New York: Pantheon (1986): 38-78.
Steiner, Linda. “Feminist Theorizing and Communications Ethics.” Communication, 12
(1991): 157-174.
Wasserman, Edward. “The insidious corruption of beats,” available at
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http://ewasserman.com/2007/01/08/the-insidious-corruption-of-beats/ (last visited
June 23, 2011).
Examinations
There will be two exams—a midterm and a final. The exams will be a
combination of short-answer and essay questions. (For the exam dates, see the attached
schedule.) No make-up exams will be allowed unless approved and scheduled prior to
the announced exam dates.
Paper Assignments
Throughout the semester, students will be asked to write one short response to a
case study and develop a longer case study that they will share with other students in the
class.
The short-writing assignment will be worth 75 points. This assignment will ask
students to read and analyze a specific case from the text and/or from a handout. The
papers will be graded and returned. The goal of this short-writing assignment is to allow
students to better assess their values, the application and recognition of ethical theory in
media contexts, and the development of their ethical-reasoning skills.
Students will also be asked to research and write a case study that they will share
with the rest of the class. Beginning early in the semester, students will be asked to select
a general topic, conduct research on that topic, and then put together a case study that
highlights the ethical questions surrounding that topic. These case studies will be graded.
They will also be posted on the class Desire To Learn (D2L) discussion forum during the
final weeks of class and students will be required to respond to some of the case studies.
The case study is intended to aid students in conducting research on ethical issues, as well
as to help students determine the primary ethical problem or problems within a situation.
As we will discover, determining the primary ethical problem is central to ethical
decision-making. The final case study is worth 100 points. Please note that I have set
aside time later in the semester where I will be available to work with students outside of
class on their papers.
All of the writing assignments will be graded on a student’s ability to make
connections with concepts and ideas explored in readings and lecture, in addition to
grammar and writing. More information on each of these assignments will be provided
as paper deadlines near. Please be aware that no late assignments will be accepted
unless approved prior to the due date.
Attendance
Attendance will be taken on a daily basis. If you are not in class at the
beginning of class when attendance is taken, it is the responsibility of the student to
make sure that his or her attendance has been recorded.
Missing too many classes will have consequences. Points will be deducted based
on the following:
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0-4 classes missed = 0 points
5-8 classes missed = -20 points
9-12 classes missed = -40 points
13-16 classes missed = -60 points
17 or more classes missed = -80 points
As you can see, you are allowed to miss up to four classes with no consequences.
Please use these wisely. In order to excuse any absences after four missed classes will
require appropriate documentation. Please talk with me about what constitutes
appropriate documentation.
Class Discussions
Generally, we will try to concentrate on one general topic a week. (See the
attached schedule.) It might be necessary to adjust the schedule as the semester
progresses. Students will be responsible for information contained in the readings and
class lectures. I also recommend printing copies of the PowerPoint slides before attending
the lecture. These will be available through D2L. It will make it easier to follow along
and make your note-taking easier.
One of the goals of this class is to move the discussion of ethical and political
theory, as it relates to the media, from the abstract to the practical. For us to achieve that
goal, class discussion is essential. That means I expect more from you than questions,
although questions are welcome at anytime. I want your opinions, your ideas, and your
comments. I expect you to bring possible discussion topics to class.
Some of the subjects that we will be discussing are likely to generate strong
feelings for some members of the class. I strive to be open to diverse ideas and
comments, and I expect all members of the class to be similarly receptive. This does not
mean you must agree, only that you must treat people with respect and civility.
Academic Misconduct
It is essential that all work (remember, this is an ethics class) submitted for this
class be your own and/or contains proper attribution. UWM’s academic misconduct
policy is as follows: “The university has a responsibility to promote academic honesty
and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic
dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of
their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect of others’ academic
endeavors.”
I will refer cases of academic misconduct to the College of Letters & Science with
a recommendation for disciplinary action. A more detailed description of Student
Academic Disciplinary Procedures can be found in Regents Policy, UWS Chapter 14 and
UWM Faculty Document #1686. Please do not let this happen. If you have questions
about this policy, please contact me.
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Special Accommodations
Students who need special accommodations are encouraged to talk with me as
soon as possible. They should also contact the Student Accessibility Center. More
information is available at this link: http://www4.uwm.edu/sac/.
Students will be permitted to make up assignments missed because of religious
observances when (a) there is a scheduling conflict between the student's sincerely held
religious beliefs and taking the examination or meeting the academic requirements; and
(b) the student has notified the instructor, within the first three weeks of the beginning of
classes of the specific days or dates on which he or she will request relief from an
examination or academic requirement.
Points and Grades
Points will be awarded based on the following:
Midterm exam
Final exam
Final case study
Responses to final student
case studies
Short-writing assignment
100 points
150 points
100 points
Total points
440
15 points (5 points for each post)
75 points
Letter grades will be awarded based on final point totals. Grades will generally
be awarded based on the following:
A = 100-95 percent
A- = 94-90 percent
B+ = 89-87 percent
B = 86-83 percent
B- = 82-80 percent
C+ = 79-77 percent
C = 76-73 percent
C- = 72-70 percent
D+ = 69-67 percent
D = 66-63 percent
D- = 62-60 percent
F = 59 percent and below
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Class Schedule
Week
Subject
Assignment
1-25
Introduction
No assigned readings
2-1
Values and Institutions
Epstein; and Gardner, et
al.
2-8
Role of Ethical Theory
Christians, et al.;
Sandel, chaps. 1-5
2-15
The Role of Ethical Theory
Sandel, chaps. 6-10
First writing assignment due in D2L Dropbox by 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 15
2-22
The Role of Political Theory
Baker
2-29
News and Truthtelling
Romano
3-7
Review and midterm exam
Exam on Wednesday, March 9
3-14
Spring break
3-21
Reporters and Sources
Wasserman
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Class Schedule
Week
Subject
Reading Assignment
3-28
News and Privacy
Bowman
4-4
Ewen, “Consumption and
Seduction”
Case study topics due in dropbox by 8 a.m. Monday, April 4
Wednesday, April 6: No class, individual meetings on case studies
Advertising and Ethics
4-11
Advertising and Ethics
Kleiner
Wednesday, April 13: No class, individual meetings on case studies
4-18
Public Relations and Ethics
Boorstin
4-25
Public Relations and Ethics
Ewen, “Coda: The Public and
Its Problems”
5-2
Entertainment Ethics: Violence, Taste and
Exploitation
Mooallem
Case studies due in D2L discussion forum AND dropbox by 8 a.m. Wednesday,
May 4.
Wednesday, May 4: No in-class meeting. Read and respond to at least three
case studies on D2L
5-9
Ethics and Free Speech
Final exam is 10 a.m.-noon, Tuesday, May 17.
No required readings