Truth and Honesty in
Media Communication
Why does it matter?
Defining the differences
• Deception
• Intended to mislead
• Uses verbal and nonverbal communication
• Lying
• Subcategory of deception
• Giving false information
The Commitment to Truth
• Historically
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Code of Hammurabi
Ten Commandments
Socrates
Kant
John Stuart Mill
First Amendment
Art of Deception
• Biblical Times
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Plato
• Mythology, folklore, & literature
The value of truth
• Autonomy
• Individuals expect truthful & accurate information
• Example: Brian Ross’s Tea Party
• Respect & trust
• Liane Membis and WSJ
• Democracy
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Truth & the Media
• Truth and reporting
• Accurate
• Promote understanding
• Fair and balanced
Images from
Vietman War
tampabay.com
vietnam-war.0catch.com
Images from
Operation Desert
Storm
debramcarthur.com
heronstheband.com
The Feeding Frenzy
• Compromises all three standards
• Rush to judgment
• Example: 1999 NYT article
Deception in Journalism
• Secret Investigations
• Army recruiters
• Three-step test
• News staging
• News reenactments or re-creations
• Image manipulation
• Tamara Bell
Fabrication of News
• Jayson Blair: 2003
• Journalism’s Summer of Sin, 2012:
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Journatic
New Canaan News
Wall Street Journal
Pioneer Press
Docudrama
• Infotainment
• Goal: make an interesting story
• Concerns
• Producer revises history without addressing it
• History distorted to present biased view
• 21st Century Docudrama Examples
• Red Tails, The Kennedys, Aftershock, Fair Game, 127
Hours
Truth in PR & Advertising
• Public Relations
• Persuasive
• True and accurate
• Advertising
• Linguistic ability
• Puffery
• Example: Skecher
VNR
• Video News Release
• Used by Corporate, Government, and NPO
• News organizations responsible for fact check
• GM Example
Intellectual Dishonesty
• Plagiarism
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Mortal sin in media communications
“unoriginal sin”
Use without credit
Examples: Johan Lehrer
• Misappropriation
• Use without permission
• Against copyright
• Example: Napster, Limewire
Moral reasoning and the truth
• Deontologists
• Consequentialists
• Virtue Ethics