Rowan University Rowan Digital Works Theses and Dissertations 6-30-2005 Ethical principles for a sensitive society Catherine M. Toscano Rowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd Part of the Public Relations and Advertising Commons Recommended Citation Toscano, Catherine M., "Ethical principles for a sensitive society" (2005). Theses and Dissertations. 1087. https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/1087 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Rowan Digital Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Rowan Digital Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES FOR A SENSITIVE SOCIETY Catherine M. Toscano A Thesis Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Public Relations Degree of The Graduate School at Rowan University June 30, 2005 Approved by Professor Date Approved _ _ ABSTRACT Catherine Toscano ETHICAL PRINCIPLES FOR A SENSITIVE SOCIETY 2004/05 Dr. Donald Bagin Master of Arts in Public Relations The purposes of this study were (a) to discover ethical dilemmas faced in the media and how they affect society; and (b) to determine what new ethical principles need to be established for media to gain back trust from today's society. The author found that lower news reporting standards such as fabrication of information and sources, using false documents and failure to check facts caused members of society to become sensitive and question the integrity of news stations and reporters as well as the validity of news being reported. Because the press has lost the trust of the American people, they can attempt to gain it back in one way-establish new ethical principles fit for a sensitive society. Six- question e-mail surveys were sent to ten media experts to determine ethical principles media should follow when reporting news. Media experts included those in the fields of print, radio, television as well as ethics professors. Survey results found that 40 percent of respondents feel that media ethics are deteriorating, 40 percent feel media ethics are not deteriorating, and 20 percent are unsure if media ethics are deteriorating. The top three principles were: Tell the truth, provide accurate reporting in news stories, and mitigate harm as much as possible. MINI-ABSTRACT Catherine Toscano ETHICAL PRINCIPLES FOR A SENSITIVE SOCIETY 2004/05 Dr. Donald Bagin Master of Arts in Public Relations The purposes of this study were (a) to discover ethical dilemmas faced in the media and how they affect society; and (b) to determine what new ethical principles need to be established for media to gain back trust from today's society. Six-question e-mail surveys were sent to ten media experts to determine ethical principles media should follow when reporting news. Survey results found that 40 percent of respondents feel that media ethics are deteriorating, 40 percent feet media ethics are not deteriorating, and 20 percent are unsure if media ethics are deteriorating. The top three principles were: Tell the truth, provide accurate reporting in news stories, and mitigate harm as much as possible. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS For my family, friends and the many inspirational professors I have come across at Rowan. Thank you for your patience, help and direction throughout this program. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I. Introduction ............................. .............................. .......................... 1 Background ................................................................. ....... 1 The Need for Determining New Ethical Principles............................. 2 The Purpose of this Study.............................................................. 2 T he Problem ......................................... ............ ...................... 3 Procedures...................................... ..... ........... ................ ...... 3 Limitations.............................................................................. 3 D efinitions .............................................................................. .. 4 II. Literature R eview .......................................... .......................... ..... ...... 5 III. Method of Research ........................... ..................................... .... 11 Phase I-E-mail Surveys................................................................. 11 Phase II-Selecting the Population to be Tested..................................... 11 Phase III-Conducting the Interviews.................................................. 12 Treating the Data Collected............................................................ 13 IV. Research Data ...................... ...... ......................... ................. ... 14 E-mail Survey for Media Professionals................................................ 14 Survey Responses....................................................................... 15 V . C onclusions .................. ............. .. .. ............. ..... ... ....................... 33 Q uestion 1 .................................................. .................... ......... 33 Question 2 ............................................................................ .. 34 Question 3 ................................................ ............... .................. 3 Q uestion 4 ............................................................................... 36 Question 5 .................................................. ................................... 37 Question 6........................................................ ....................... 38 Suggestions for Further Study.......................................................... 39 R eferences.............................................................. ......................... 4 1 LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPHS Graph I. ..................... .................................. 33 Question 1-Graph I................................................................. ... 33 II. ................ ...................................... ............................... ........ 34 Question 2-Graph II ..................................................................... 34 III. .................................. .................... ... .......................... ..... 35 Question 3-Graph III................................................................... 35 IV . .................................. .................... .... ............................. 36 Question 4-Graph IV.....................................................................36 V . ...................................................... .................. ............................ 3 7 Question 5-Graph V ....................................................................... 37 V I. .................................................................................................. ..37 Question 5-Graph VI..................................................................... 37 V II ................................ ......................... .................................... ..... 38 Question 6-Graph VII.....................................................................38 CHAPTER I Background According to a September 2004 Gallup poll, very few Americans still rely on the top names in news. The poll showed that only 44 percent of Americans trust the press to report the news fully, accurately and fairly. Thirty-six percent of those 44 only "fairly trust" the press.1 With networks in competition for the highest ratings, newspapers rivaling for the most readers and reporters contending to cover the top story, ethical principles in the media continue to deteriorate and as a result society has become sensitive, meaning unsure if they can truly trust the mass media. Former CBS newscaster Bernard Goldberg wrote in a Wall Street Journalop-ed piece," There are lots of reasons fewer people are watching network news, and one of them, I'm more convinced than ever, is that our viewers simply don't trust us. And for good reason."2 For an insider to blow the whistle on unethical practices in the news media and admit his own untrustworthiness leaves no question as to why society has become SStunner: Americans don't trust press. (2004, September 24). Media Life Magazine. Retrieved October 2, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2004/sep04/Sept20/5_fri/news friday.html 2 Goldberg, B. (2001) Bias. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing. sensitive. People are susceptible to the news they hear they should not have to question the integrity of the media reporting the news. The Need for Determining New Ethical Principles People watch, read or listen to the news to gain insight on current events and most of all, learn the truth. According to the Society of Professional Journalists, "Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other." 3 Media should avoid inadvertent error and never deliberately distort information. CNN and Time Magazine lost credibility when they released false allegations that the U.S. Military used lethal chemical agents to kill American defectors during the Vietnam War. Ethical principles of the New York Times were called to question when top reporter Jayson Blair fabricated information for his stories. And most recently, CBS News went under fire when long-time anchor Dan Rather lost his credibility by releasing forged documents accusing President Bush of receiving preferential treatment during his military service. Because of the blatant