Media Ethics: Lying
and Art
* Sissela Bok. 1999. Lying. New York: Vintage Books.
Jeremy Campbell. 2001. The Liar’s Tale: A History of Falsehood, New York: W.W. Norton &
Co.
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Lying
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No single lie undermines a liar’s integrity.
The problem is that most liars see their
lies as trivial and underestimate their risk.
After a while, lies seem easier. Moral
distinctions can coarsen. Liar’s perception
of risk of getting caught become warped.
Lies beget more lies, which increases the
risk of getting caught.
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Lying
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Although initially, lying can give people
power, when they are caught and are no
longer trusted, their power decreases
substantially – to zero.
There is a parallel between deception and
violence. Both are means not only of
survival but also of unjust coercion.
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Two perspectives: The deceiver as hero,
the deceiver as villain.
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The hero warrior uses deceit to survive.
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Machiavelli
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Lying
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Bok accepts Aristotle’s view that lying is
“mean and culpable” and truthful
statements are preferable to lies in the
absence of special considerations.
Lies require an explanation, truth does
not.
Trust in some degree of veracity is the
foundation of relations among human
beings; when trust shatters or wears
away, institutions collapse. THE NEW SCHOOL
Lying
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Two points of view:
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Absolute
Special considerations
Absolute = Never lie, under any
circumstances.
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Kant
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Question: You give someone shelter in your house
from murderer. Murderer asks “Is he in your
house?”
Duty to victim higher than duty to tell the truth—
special circumstance.
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Lying
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Utilitarian approach – Weigh moral choices
according to “greatest good for greatest
number.”
Approach to moral conflict: Use common sense.
Weigh lies based on the degree to which lie will
do harm or cause unhappiness.
In other words, no absolutes. Depends on
consequences.
However, this approach is unsatisfactory for
deciding complex issues with many people
involved.
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Death penalty, for example.
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Lying
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White lies – harmless lying.
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Social practice
Cheerful interpretation of depressing
circumstances, show gratitude for unwanted
gifts – “do no harm.”
Triviality of an isolated lie differs from a
practice of small deceptions adding up to a
big lie.
Evasion, euphemism, exaggeration
(advertising).
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Excuses for lying:
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“Just kidding.”
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Don’t believe it.
“I didn’t mean it, I was drunk.”
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Lying
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Justifying
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“I lied because…”
“Do no harm” principle.
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A lie that hurts is malicious
A lie that has benefits is an “official” lie.
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Politicians
Lawyers
If a lie rectifies an equilibrium, it is fair.
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OK to lie to protect the innocent or a source.
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Lying
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But lying can come from self-deception.
“If I believe it, it’s not a lie.” Tell small,
justifiable (to themselves) lies, they soon
believe them.
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No harm intended, “good reasons.”
Vitally important principle: You should not
lie when telling the truth will accomplish
the same thing.
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Lying
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Public scrutiny: John Rawls refers to
publicity as a way to test moral choices.
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A moral principle must be capable of public
statement and defense. A secret moral
principle, or one which could be disclosed
only to a few people could not satisfy this
condition.
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Fairness. Ethics or moral choices agreed to by
reasonable people.
Challenges liar’s self-deception and
privately held assumptions and hasty
choices.
OK for survival, but don’t extend deceptive
practices.
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Lying
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Rules of the Game
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In times of crisis, deceiving an enemy is
acceptable.
In times of war, deception is expected.
In games of chance, if the players consent to
the rules, and deception is part of the game.
In business, like in war, there are rules that
are accepted.
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Game Theory
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Lying
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Lying, evasion, euphemism, and
exaggeration vary from one family to the
next, from one profession or society to
the next.
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No immutable laws.
Different professions/industries/cultures have
different standards.
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You can decide to rule out deception
whenever honest alternatives exist and
you can become more adept at thinking
up honest ways to deal with problems.
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Requires thoughtful discussion.
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You can learn to look with care at other
choices when deception seems the only
choice.
You can use the test of publicity to help
set standards.
You can be aware of efforts to dupe you.
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Lying
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The stress on individualism, free choice,
competition, material success greatly
increase pressures to cut corners.
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To win an election, to outsell the competition,
to increase your income
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Many people feel caught up in practices
they cannot change.
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Public and private institutions, with their
huge power, must help decrease pressure.
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Corporations‘ codes of ethics
Professional codes of ethics
University courses
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Lying
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Bok: “Trust and integrity are precious
resources, easily squandered, hard to
regain. They can thrive only on a
foundation of respect for veracity.”
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Bok: Summary
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First, consult your own conscience about
the “rightness” of an action. How do you
feel about it?
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Second, seek expert advice for
alternatives to the act that creates the
ethical problem. Experts can be alive or
dead (philosophers). Is there another way
to achieve the same goal that will not
raise ethical issues?
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Third, if possible, conduct a public
discussion with the parties involved in the
dispute. If they cannot be gathered,
conduct the conversation hypothetically.
The goal of this conversation is to
discover How will my action affect others?
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Jeremy Campbell *
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Deception can no longer be seen as an
artificial, deviant or even dispensable
feature of life.
It is a natural, inevitable and relentlessly
necessary part of our world.
As art and fiction have increasingly come
to dominate our culture, we have
obtained a dissatisfaction with the
thinness, the inadequacy of literal truth.
* Jeremy Campbell. 2001. The Liar’s Tale: A History of Falsehood,
New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
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We have a sense that litreral truth fails to
do justice to the rich possibilities of
language and experience.
Deception is inherent in our nature,
according to Campbell.
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And Theodore Levitt
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Art
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“Art is a lie that makes us realize the
truth.” Picasso
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Painting
Fiction
Movies
Theater (Shakespeare)
Docudramas, documentaries
Reality TV
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Aesthetic Scale *
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Serious artists and
producers who are
careful about the
integrity of their craft
and insistent that
audiences should have
a better insight into
meaningful human life.
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Writers and producers
who want to provide
the most popular
product possible – care
little for lofty artist
visions – they want to
attract the largest
possible audience and
make the most posible
money.
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Between the demands of art and the
marketplace are a host of moral questions
that media practitioners face every day.
“Triviality destroys at once the robustness
of thought and delicacy of feeling. No
enthusiasm can flourish, no generous
impulse survive under its blighting
influence.” Louis Brandeis.
* Media Ethics.
2012. Christians, Fackler, et al. Glenview, IL: Allyn & Bacon
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Thus, in the media (TV, Internet, print,
film, e.g.) intent is, once again, the key.
Is the intent to deceive, to only make
money, to titillate without a morally
acceptable theme.
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Is no one treated as fodder for another’s
exploitation? (Kant)
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Entertainment
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Entertainment is where we go for
refreshment, for advice on how to live our
lives or for escape.
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Our own failures and fears are forgotten in a
good story.
Entertainment puts color on the canvas of
life.
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However, our entertainment choices do
have an impact on our lives – on who we
want to be.
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You choose the person you will become,
which has an impact on other people.
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The entertainment you select or produce
invariably promotes some moral values
and degrades other values – directly or
indirectly (implication or innuendo).
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Be honest with yourself and be true to
your intentions:
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Exploit others
Appeal to prurient interests
Make money
Make art
Enlighten
Entertain
Elucidate
Educate
Uplift
Persuade
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Moral awareness and self-awareness are
vital:
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Endangering lives is wrong (immoral).
Bilking consumers and audiences is wrong.
Dehumanizing individuals, races and religions
is wrong.
If the entertainment you choose or
produce is deepening understanding and
appreciation of your own and others’
lives, that’s good.
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If your entertainment is wasting your gifts
and skills, subverting your sense of
human empathy and weakening your
trust in truthfulness, that’s bad.
Do no harm.
Choose what expands, enriches, deepens
and discerns.
Avoid time-wasting drivel and soulshriveling nonsense.
Moral wisdom knows the difference.
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Must it be either/or on the aesthetic
scale?
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Can you combine art and commerce?
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Great artists learn to do both.
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