Industry ethical guidelines
Every professional work needs to conform to guidelines of ethics. Media ethics stipulates what needs to be done in the media platform. The power of mass communication is immense in the current world and cannot be overlooked. Media has been associated with professions such as medicine, education, and business (Day, 2006).
As part of professionalism, media ethics combines logic and rationale in its application. Media ethics has made great advancement in ethics of distributive justice, deception and confidentiality. The industry guidelines in the media where ethics come into play can be divided into three: reporting of the news, advertisements and entertainment. The current guidelines in the media entail truth in relaying information, the aspect of sexism in promotion and adverts and violence in entertainment.
Media is obliged at providing true information. Telling credible information remains an occupational norm of media professionals (Day, 2006).
However, this is normally constrained by deadlines and editorial conventions. Advertisement industry needs to persuade the customer to purchase particular product. Advertisement has been controversial with the issue being the exploitation of women (Phillips, 1997). Advertisement has perpetuated women as sex objects and thus making them inferior. Ethical guidelines in media dictate that media should refrain from sexualizing commercials. There has been a gradual transition from media to real violence. The industry guidelines restrict showing violence related content on the television (Day, 2006). Temperance has become a cardinal rule in the current world due to the influence of the media.
Current Ethical Guidelines
The current guidelines in the media include:
- A free press has essential responsibility in the society and should ensure that the role is not compromised.
- A free media has a responsibility of reporting fair and accurate news.
- A free media is powerful and influence the political processes, thus it should ensure that it does not polarize the politics of a place.
- A free press should be accountable for its performance.
- A free media should ensure that there is accuracy, fairness, independence and impartiality in relaying information to the public.
- The media is required to conform to regulations that are dictated by the media oversight authority.
- The media must operate within the laws of the land and observe laws of contempt and defamation.
Ethical Framework
An ethical framework in media should revolve around honesty and truth (Phillips, 1997). Advertisements as a sub-section of the media have been tainted by exaggeration in order for a certain product to attain a market value. Ethical consideration in the media entails sexism, violence and truth. Ethical guidelines in the framework will help in observing these considerations (Phillips, 1997). They include:
- The media will be charged with the responsibility of relaying reliable information to the public.
- Fabrication and fictions in reporting will not be accepted and thus, the corporation will be held responsible for the breach of conduct
- Interpretive sufficiency will be used in disclosure of meaning to the public.
- The media will be charged with the responsibility of disclosing comprehensive and detailed information on events.
- In advertisement, the media should ensure that the communication of a certain brand holds some truth. If the product has side effects, these should be included in the advertisements.
- The media should not tolerate the use of explicit images and videos in attracting the audience.
- Any advertisement should ensure that women are not portrayed as hyper-sexualization objects rather observe decency.
- Sexually explicit advertisement should be discouraged from use in marketing of products.
- The media will be charged with the responsibility of withdrawing any violent programs or reducing violent content in its broadcast
- The media should ensure that ethics are followed in relaying any information.
References
Day, L. A. (2006). Ethics in media communications: Cases and controversies. Southbank, Victoria: Thomson.
Phillips, M. J. (1997). Ethics and manipulation in advertising: Answering a flawed indictment. Westport, Conn: Quorum.
