Abstract
Although obliged to cover issues in their entirety, with no distortions made in the process, American media tend to misrepresent the reality, as was the case with the depiction of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime implications for the social welfare possibly for political reasons. The noble cause of saving the international image of the USA formerly allied with the late leader in the wake of the Gaddafi demonization could have been the driving force of misrepresentation of the myth related in part to ethical minorities. The knowledge of non-consequentialism and its principles, whether unconsciously or otherwise, allows readers to perceive the problem of inadequate coverage. Apart from con-consequentialism, ethical relativism and absolutism also do a good job at helping people perceive the issue in question. The problem, however, has a variety of solutions ranging from the comprehensive coverage of minorities with the integration of all critical aspects making for a fuller picture to the publications of articles by nonprofit media disclosing the inaccurate depiction of minorities by the commercial press forcing the change of portrayal.
Keywords: minority, portrayal, media, con-consequentialism, relativism, absolutism
One of the major functions of media is to portray the reality in its diversity as it is, without twisting or under-reporting it. Much as it is an ethical duty of journalists, media in the same country can depict a situation, be it at home or abroad, in different ways for a variety of reasons. The knowledge of ethical theories and philosophies or the unconscious understanding of their principles may allow people to perceive the problem of inadequate coverage by American media. Different solutions exist of how to get the problem resolved, such as the publication of exposing articles and a more comprehensive coverage with the inclusion of the cultural aspect in the rationalization mix. The point is that ethical relativism, non-consequentialism, and ethical absolutism allow readers to perceive the problem of the inadequate portrayal of different minorities in different countries by the US media, which may necessitate the development of solutions by newspapers to improve the depiction of minorities.
Ethical Relativism
As follows from the tenets of ethical relativism, the moral wrongness and rightness varies from society to society. There are said to be no absolute universal moral standards always mandatory for all people, bar none (Feldmeth, n.d.). Put otherwise, what is right in one society is not in the other, based on their perceptions of ethicality. Minorities may be the field where cultural values of the nations collide being in a mutual stark contrast, and media should go into detail about the problem. A google inquiry into the LGBT minority situation in Russia, for example, yields a variety of American newspapers, yet they are apt to present the numerical evidence of the problem, respective current developments, oncoming legal innovations, the international country image, and human rights violation, with scarce cultural emphasis made in general media.
Thus, for example, Fisher (2013a) authored a telling article on world countries, based on the homosexuality tolerance variable, yet it is full of figures and trends. The same holds good for the article authored by Reynolds (2013) also relied on data comparing the situation with other countries across the globe. Interestingly, below the article is a section with commentaries, in which a certain Robbie Paul noted he would better learn about the reasons Russians rejected the minority group than read about the fact they did. The claim of rather a one-sided coverage of the problem of mistreatment may be possible to contest. Maybe, a Washington Post article authored by Terrence McCoy (2015) is an attempt to present a fuller picture of the minority maltreatment in modern Russia, as the journalist points to the Soviet cultural roots of the recent economic history. However, the general picture largely screams poor coverage.
Obviously, what the media needs is to show the nature of contrasts in the human perception of specific issues, such as the ones related to minority groups like LGBT individuals, in different societies and cultures. Keith (2011) stated that American were accepting of homosexuality, unlike Russians viewing the minority largely negatively. In their coverage of Russian homophobic ways, the American media cannot be said to fail to do so much as name the reason for minority non-acceptance; however, they do not present the reasons in their entirety. Thus, Olga Khazan (2013) from Massachusetts’ newspaper “The Atlantic” did reveal the propagandistic and historical causes of negative perception, yet there was no mention of culture, which a strong factor in the formation of prejudices and stereotypes.
Baer (2009) described homosexuality as intimately linked to an aesthetics rejecting the ethical and moral seriousness of the great tradition of Soviet and Russian realism. While considering the aspects missing from the US media rhetoric, it is worth mentioning religion, which Hechter et al. (1993) defined as a critical element of culture often deemed its core (as cited in Hall, 2013). The contribution of religion to the formation of negative perception of the sexual minority along with the like aura may be significant. Manson (2013) claimed the Orthodox Church of Russia to have a role in the national anti-gay laws. Worse, there is a direct correlation between violence and injustice experienced by homosexual individuals and the Russian religious institution now said to be closing ranks with the authorities (Manson, 2013). Despite religion being a bridge to the explanation of the minority mistreatment that would point to the political component often richly covered by secular media, the US media do not seem to know better than to include it into the discourse.
The problem is that information on the different aspects of the attitudes towards minorities looks scattered across different secular and religious media, such as the Atlantic and the National Catholic Reporter. It minimizes the chance of readers receiving a comprehensive coverage of the problem within their preferred category of news outlets in the sense that some categories of readers are unlikely to visit religion-oriented media; nor is the other group likely to attend the secular media too often. It follows from this that culture in its diverse manifestations is an overlooked aspect of full coverage of the problematic issue despite it being considered from other essential angles.
The principles of ethical relativism may influence the way people view the problem in the sense that the degree of relativism principles implementation by media determines the extent to which people understand the problem of the often unidimensional or incomplete depiction of homosexuality rejection lacking comparison, nay, the explanation of cultural uniqueness of this perception is a good case in point. Ethical relativism or the realization that there is a variability of wrongness and rightness depending on the society may allow people to come to the realization that the nondisclosure of truth on political elites may be a social norm in authoritarian societies like that of North Korea and a wrong professional conduct in democratic societies like that of the USA. Just as there is a problem, so too is there a solution to the issue of inadequate coverage.
Maybe, even readers would do better to avoid purchasing, reposting, or viewing the content with insufficient issue coverage to make newspapers cover problems in great depth in the spirit of ethical relativism to regain the reader base. Of course, newspapers can make a preemptive effort by falling to providing a versatile view of issues raised. Income-oriented media will learn their lesson and change the fashion of portrayal. Anyways, the American media would be well advised to take a deeper look at the problem. All that will be needed will be a comparative coverage of the problem and an emphasis on the cultural rationalization of the problem. If followed, the recommendation will make it feasible the comprehensive portrayal communicating the underlying ideas and tenets of ethical relativism. While figures are what catch readers’ attention, a deep investigation into the causal factors like culture and the historic evolution of intolerance can prove as commercially enticing now that the reader base may have grown tired of endless figures that may be rather a poor storyteller.
Non-Consequentialism
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. (2011) noted that the most influential of non-consequentialist approaches came in the shape of Kant’s moral theory. In his considered opinion, right actions have moral value if done for duty’s sake and with a good will. In the media context, such noble causes or goal may come in the shape of the concealment of national scandals and disasters to save the international image and economic appeal, the favorable coverage or avoidance of covering foreign authorities to protect national geopolitical alliances. The knowledge of non-consequentialism, whether through the awareness of the ethical theory or the unconscious acceptance of the ethical belief of the Kantian philosophy, may lead people to develop an understanding that the twisting of reality or nondisclosure of truth may point to journalists considering themselves obliged to do engage in the mentioned misrepresentation of reality. Such distortion may be for the sake of moral duty they may have for their country.
The finding of such moral navigators in the actions of journalists, which non-consequentialism may urge them to seek, may help readers understand the problem of misrepresentation although they will most likely start viewing it rather positively, which they will. However, the reverse holds true for foreign viewers, especially those opposed to the USA and whatever developments related to the country, such as Russians. The local media, the propagandistic tool of the Kremlin authorities, is sure to utilize non-consequentialism to decipher the rationales behind the underreporting or misrepresentation of minorities for the ideological purpose. It appears obvious that Russians can seek to find and use flaws in the USA they consider a top rival. Indeed, Klikushin (2015) admitted that Russian media abounded with racist and vulgar anti-Obama rhetoric.
The shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson is one of such developments whose coverage may polarize the perception of minority depiction by domestic readers and foreign readers. Eric Zorn (2015) from Chicago Tribune noted that the “hands up, do not shoot” slogan of Ferguson protests and the phrase allegedly voiced by the killed young African American was nothing short of a lie disguising the bigger truth. The Huffington Post (2015) placed a fragment of the article from the Washington Post also centered on the foundation of the slogan claimed to be deceptive. Now, whether police were right to shoot the young boy dead remains to be identified. Byers (2014), Diem (2014), Ingram (2014), and Stelter (2014) opined that people in Ferguson rose against police brutality, the system of racism that cost the life of Brown, and traditional media (as cited in Kiuchi and Villarruel, 2016). Such is the opinion of researchers cited in the book that may be considered a more neutral source close to the reality.
The following is the opinion of an American online newspaper MTW News concordant with the official version. Nadeska Alexis (2014) linked the shooting to the problem of police brutality. The article shows that reports justifying police were not the only ones going viral, which allows opposing the claim of distorted coverage as being the only one at the time. Behind the possibly distorted coverage could have been the noble aim of keeping the image of the country intact, as racial issues have the potential of compromising countries, which may cost it its economic or investment appeal. As mentioned above, the perception of the coverage by domestic readers aware of non-consequentialism postulates may be moderate-to-positive, yet liberal, more progressive, and less conservative residents rejecting the colonial era legacy of slavery and racism tolerance may perceive such coverage negatively.
As for potential solutions in this case, media striving to stay neutral and present all points impartially should contain both points of view in their articles explaining the potential rationales behind each of the two contrasting groups of opinions. While they will not foist the correct view on readers, they will give them the opportunity to do so on their own by logically rejecting the distorted or biased stance assumed by an unethical media outlet, which will lead to them growing alienated from untruthful newspaper they used to prefer possibly forcing it to reconsider its vision. Furthermore, there should be a committee instituted that will annually reward the most precise, truthful, and impartial portrayal of domestic and international developments. To be an award-winning outlet is prestigious, which draws readers; thus, newspaper, are likely to reconsider their principles going from being sensation-oriented to becoming unbiased watchdogs. Accurate depiction will leave hostile media no chance to use the incorrect depiction for their propagandistic purpose.
As for other examples, CNN I Report (2012) revealed that all Libyan newlyweds were eligible for a monetary gift, with the country under Gaddafi. What may be the case here is the distortion in the depiction of Libyan population, inclusive of ethnic minorities, by the American media like CNN. By all Libyans, the article implies all residents of the country, bar none, which means those of ethnic descent other than Libyan make up the eligible category. The media representation concerns the natives as much as it does ethnic minorities getting married. However, Shoah (2011) exposed the claim made by other media that newlyweds would receive an equivalent of 50.000 dollars for apartment acquisition as a hoax. In truth, the unaffordability of building, purchasing, or renting a house is what keeps Libyans unable to get married (Shoah, 2011).
The presumed rationale may be the noble and patriotic cause of the national media to misrepresent Gaddafi as a positive leader to cushion the strong, formerly well-known bonds to the USA, thereby keeping its international image rather intact. The understanding of the inadequate coverage through the lenses of non-consequentialism can have the same effects the previous example does on domestic and foreign reader bases. Auken (2011) confirmed the availability of Washington’s close bonds to the now former leader of Libya. As with the previous examples, the claim that American media distorted the reality for the mentioned noble cause is contestable. At least, not all of them did. GPD (2011) revealed the gift-related information as deceptive. The article emerged in Veterans Today, an independent online journal publishing attitudes and providing news for the members of veteran and military community. What needs to be done is to reveal truthful information and publish articles with disclaiming content to make sure readers receive only truthful and accurate facts. Public pressure on the newspaper may also prove efficient.
Ethical Absolutism
Ethical absolutism holds that there are firm moral principles never to be broken. One of such may be telling the truth at all times (Feldmeth, n.d.). For readers to come to realize that certain media violate the sacred obligation of ethical absolutism people master and follow since childhood may render them irate over its violation. They may perceive the problem of truth concealment or misrepresentation as such that requires solving, which may translate into pressure on media. The perception of the problem of the age minority representation by media cannot be anything but negative, as there are no justifying factors or motivations of such journalistic misconduct. Such perception will particularly be true of the older audience inasmuch as it has a direct bearing on them especially if a commercial interest of such portrayal comes to light. There is no reason to question the minority status of the elderly residents. According to Victor (2013), sociologists are of the view that there is no better way of studying the elderly than by treating them as a minority group, with the term making a reference to group marginality rather than its numerical characteristics.
Max Fisher (2013 b) from the Washington Post presented the USA as the best country for the elderly ages 65 and 91 to live in with regard to wellbeing. In reality, the situation is not as perfect as depicted. Disabled World (2012) cited the results of a survey that found 80% of its respondents to face ageism. Once again, there is no claiming media coverage to be as skeptical towards the ageism issue as the Washington Post is, which means the claim of misrepresentation is possible to oppose. Thus, Patricia Reaney (2015) from Reuters presented a more realistic picture that challenges the Washington Post’s welfare claim. Employment-related charges of age-based discrimination were described as having risen among other issues. Solution-wise, media possibly with the not-for-profit orientation need to challenge the distorted views within the respective media landscape with numerical evidence discrediting the inaccurate portrayal of the age minority by commercial newspapers. If they challenge the twisted coverage in the mentioned fashion, they may place the reputation of newspapers responsible for unethical coverage in jeopardy forcing such news outlets to depict issues more realistically. Expecting commercial analogies to criticize their counterparts is irrational most likely for reasons like solidarity; therefore, nonprofit media is the best means of solving the issue.
Conclusion
Thus, American media appear to cover the same problem differently, with some distorting or under-reporting the scope of specific problems, as is the case with the LGBT minority in Russia, the racial minority in the USA, the ethical minorities in Libya, and the age minority in the USA. Of course, the presence of articles with opposing views shows the misrepresentation or distortion is not this pervasive; thus, there are the oases of truth, which allows opposing the claim that media were unanimous about the vision of specific minority-related issues. Not all of them were, yet it does not deduct from the problem, much less eliminate it along with the urgency of solutions. The ethical theories of ethical relativism, non-consequentialism, and ethical absolutism allow reader to perceive the problem of poor coverage and react accordingly. They may subconsciously see the issue, without having theories guide their perception. Ethical relativism, for instance, may help readers understand the incompleteness of the depiction of the LGBT minority treatment in Russia pointing to the missing cultural aspect of the problem that can make for a greater comprehension of the situation and a qualitative coverage. No matter how challenging, the issue has solutions, such the publication of exhaustive coverages of minorities and related issues by American media.
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