Chapter 10: The Ethical Dimensions of Art and Entertainment

Tolstoy argued that art communicated the feelings of the artist to the masses in the way in which the artist intended. This definition is broadly interpreted by artists and their audiences. We see it's power through popular media today such as television shows where issues are cast a light upon to call for action. They have raised public awareness and policy through issues that we would've once overlooked. This calls for a moral component for us to act upon and seek out through art. Today almost all story telling is through the mass media and it's artists.

Messages are compressed and distorted due to the depth that they lack. Artists are not bound to tell the truth, they simply create an idea from their own mind and we interpret it. We don't care if truth and entertainment are blurred because new realities are fun for us to discover. Being an art student made me realize that the more creative you are, the more valuable you are in that profession. They don't want clear cut thinking and definitely seek the unimaginable.

I love that our book discussed Jon Stewart on CNN's Crossfire-the excerpt we watched in class. I like that he highlighted on their responsibility to the public. The argument was entertaining to watch and I laughed a lot because Stewart knew his stuff and got his point across.

Also in the War of the Worlds broadcast listeners tuned in to what they couldn't decipher as an actual event or a story. They heard of a mass takeover and some listeners thought it was actually occurring.

I went to a Christian camp when I was younger where Harry Potter was banned. I read the first Harry Potter book in kindergarten and my parents were proud that I was an advanced reader so young, they didn't care it discussed issues that upset the Catholic church. Should we really ban books that help students to explore creativity in a healthy way? No of course not, but everyone has their views that will differ on what is acceptable and what isn't. I think if the Catholic Church wants to be weird about a book then they have bigger issues to deal with.

While I was at art school we were not given a lot of boundaries, we were allowed to explore basically whatever we wanted, there might have been some guidelines but they weren't echoed a lot. It was an environment that didn't have deadlines and promoted the development of an idea organically. We had a special center for students who learned differently- I have always studied and memorized information in symbols. I drew pictures to remember information that I needed to know for tests, partly because I had always been critical of my teachers and knew i had to memorize information but needed a way to do it.  I was always frustrated by authority and being confined to a system. It was a different way of thinking and the most intelligent people I have met have been professors and students from that school (SCAD) but their views and methods are definitely not the majority in America. A lot of artists have gotten labeled as lazy but really it is a difference between left and right brain.

Last night I watched the movie Jobs with Ashton Kutcher which I haven't finished but I can sort of relate the character of Steve Jobs to this chapter. He did some pretty unethical things when his art/technology was given fuel and power.

My parents always tell me that the future is for creative minds and entrepreneurship, we have enough doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc.

We also air almost anything on TV. I am still amazed that people carve out time in their day to watch tacky court shows where they find out who the dad is, Cops, and random families in the south (honey boo boo? are you kidding?!) I feel like what people do with their own time is their business but the media definitely opened the window for people to throw their lives out of. I have tried to watch reality tv and couldn't sit through an episode so to each his own. It makes money but i find it hard to watch, a waste of time and stereotypical, but then again it makes money.

We had a documentary film maker come into our class ( this was one of my favorite class days) because It was so unique to talk to the artist behind the idea. I usually feel stupid asking questions but internally I was so enlightened to hear about the crossing of immigrants to America. It's an issue I hear about but don't know enough to have a conversation and not sound ignorant. Documentary film makers always have an angle to their film, and usually it is one sided. They are always in the right and the truth teller. They use information of their own and tell the story in the way they want to be the most truthful one. Blackfish is another film that comes to mind, however I can't really see keeping a wild animal in a pool from another point of view. I think that was one of the most successful documentaries I have seen because it doesn't leave a lot of room for "well yeah, but...."  Other documentaries I can see the issue as being skewed, sometimes with good reason, but there is always more to a story.

The time of our deaths is fixed and I think most people should be given freedom to live their lives in a way the want to. I believe in as few creative rules as possible and hopefully people focus on having strong morals and use power and their voice wisely. That would be a perfect world but it's probably not going to happen.

Chapter 3:

This chapter starts off by discussing how dating sites make money through cookies and selling its users data. I don't find an ethical dilemma with enabling cookies to track our online history to make purchasing decisions. The average user probably doesn't associate the term "cookie" with a computer but users are aware that they are being targeted via sites such as Facebook when their advertisements are specialized based on the user. For example, a fashionista like myself is bombarded with online boutiques that the computer assumes I would purchase from, which is fine, I don't have to purchase something unless I willingly do so.

Strategic communication involves its consumers skipping over commericals and taking short cuts to get their entertainment which poses a problem for advertisers who are looking to get their messages to eyeballs. Advertisers are now having to consider invading people's privacy further to get their message across.

I can see where advertisers are coming from, they are just doing their job in a world that is saturated with messages from retailers. The problem that I see isn't that it is more difficult to advertise to the public now, because we tend to tune out ads and huge billboards. It isn't making an impact any more. We are used to it, this is today and this is what should happen. Using shock value isn't always ethical but what can be learned is that we need new methods and a completely different direction in terms of advertising and sending out our message so that it is heard and thought about.

As an avid Harry Potter fan, I related the room of requirement to how we use power. Technologies ethical issues doesn't mean we get rid of technology...it has helped us immensely. The way we use technology is what grounds the ethical issues surround it. We can make our social sites private, and we can opt out and not join. How an individual chooses to participate and behave is on them.

I see people losing their own guiding inner voice and that is the issue. Technology is a tool and there will always be ethical issues with such an important tool available for every single person. We still hold responsibility for what we do and say on these platforms. If you really wanted to, technology could disappear, for you.

In the persuasion discussion I was immediately reminded of the plastic water bottle companies. They are advertising a healthy product but using plastic that harms our environments. I am drinking out of a plastic water bottle right now, but I have also watched the movie Tapped and now feel guilt drinking out of it. I am hesitant to purchase plastic water bottles, my use of it is going down. I bought a Brita water filter and reusable water bottle with a built in filter. I went out of my way after being persuaded by this movie Tapped to stop drinking plastic water bottles. The same thing goes for our consumers, if there is an ethical issue at hand, let's address it with a wide range of point of views so people aren't blindsided and can make an informed personal decision. If persuasion is being used there is always an angle from the persuader to it's "prey".

We can finalize our decisions through the TARES test of ethical persuasion. Truthfulness, Authenticity, Respect, Equity, Social aspect.

Cognitive dissonance is when a message and action give conflicting and uncomfortable signals 

Chapter 9: New Media: Continuing Questions and New Roles

The delivery methods in media today are new: we use outlets like Youtube as another way to view programming. The internet gives people the power to organize as never before. Social media is adept at separating people into groups.

The role of information provider and collector, also known as the first informer role, is done by both citizens and journalists. Citizen journalism lacks verification which is why the second role of verifying information and placing it into context separates journalism in a professional manner. This role values truth, context and equality. The ethical value of truth and accuracy is being employed. If journalists lose their adherence to these values they will be mixed in with the first role and lose credibility.

Digitization is concept that we are not used to. Ethical performance calls for us to cite the source of our information. What do we do when the source is not real or one we created out of thin air? These sources need to credible and accurate. In reference to the Audrey Hepburn Gap commercial, I found the concept of digitization unsettling. I saw that commercial on TV with my dad and I said to him "but how can they do that- she is dead...right?" After reading about it in our book, I think there might be some ethical issues of using her image in such a way without her permission.

Public forums are a place where people meet by chance and can start a dialogue. Our news should have other points of view and stories we may have otherwise overlooked in order for us to grow individually and as a species. We must be open minded and tolerant of other people's views.

 

 There is trust that should be kept between a reporter and the source (sort of like a therapist and their patient). This is why in some instances journalists have gone to jail protecting a source. This reminded me of the movie we watched in class where Sally Field tells the woman who had gotten an abortion that she couldn't leave her name out of the story. We discussed if it was necessary for Sally Field's role as journalist to divulge such detailed information (the abortion) or if she could just state that the women was at a doctor's appointment.

This chapter connects with the concept of Utilitarianism in chapter 1: The greatest good for the greatest number of people has profound democratic implications. The internet is a tool that can be used to better our education and gather more information to make us more well educated in different areas. Journalism will be more focused on putting facts into context-taking it one step further for readers. The concept of "free" press is emphasized in the notion to make news coverage accessible to every American through the internet- this benefits the individual and society at large (key concept)

 "What separates the professionals from the amateurs at core is values and the ability to think ethically within a professional domain. " (237)

Chapter 8: Picture This: The Ethics of Photo and Video Journalism

One of the earliest notion's of privacy was having one's image "stolen." This led to the law on the unwarranted use of one's image. Images have faces and intimacy that words can't quite offer.

In class we discussed how images can affect the reader politically and in forming views. In one of the first class periods we looked at a picture of two girls falling to ultimately their deaths (or a coma) and it was miraculously caught on film. There is an ethical issue surrounding if that image is fit for print. We also talked about the photographs of mothers picking up their children from Sandy Hook elementary school after the shooting and whether or not their grief should be displayed in that manner for public shock.

In today's age, everyone is a photographer and instagram is their paintbrush. I can relate this back to the privacy chapter in which we delved into Facebook and it's ability to recognize our face and match with social security numbers in some instances. In most circumstances we are just trying to protect our image from google and future employers, and doing all that we can to untag pictures of ourselves from the weekend.

One of my friends once asked me something I will never forget...."I wonder how many strangers photographs I am in?" When she asked this I laughed and immediately thought of trips I made with my family to the Grand Canyon or photos outside church on Easter and the people that are in the background. These were all photos that had been printed out and in our scrapbooks, now they are digital and uploaded online and become less intimate in some ways.

In our book, Goffman claims that people have territories that they have a right to control. This includes the right to personal space free from intrusion and the right to preserve one's information such as their emotions from the public. We see celebrities always having their images manipulated and skewed to fit an angle of a story. Justin Bieber has recently been portrayed as a "thug" or bad kid and the media is zooming in on that aspect. Photojournalism also is intrusive to the general public and violates Goffman's sense of self.

The line that we draw for what is an artistic photograph and what is an invasion of privacy blurs because every photo is so different and we can't make rules for photographs that haven't been taken yet.
Our book says that the line should be drawn in the newsroom and not at the scene. In class we watched a brief clip of a boy who had been hit by a car crossing the street and it showed a body (although covered) and his aunt/relative crying at the scene. News is updated so quickly now and through multimedia outlets that are giving less control of the quality of the news that is being published. I feel that I see much more apologies from stations and editors in print now then I ever have.

This subject applies to everyone, because we are all vulnerable to being photographed and having our image manipulated. Just as we are mindful in how we speak, we should be more aware of how we are behaving in public as well. It's not ideal to be under surveillance and always at risk of being used for photojournalism material but it's better to know your rights and your environment for the best outcome.

"A film is never good until the camera is an eye in the head of a poet." -Orson Wells

Chapter 7: Media Economics: The Deadline Meets the Bottom Line

The social responsibility calls for five functions for the media to have in society.

Power is now found throughout media and its organizations with the gatekeepers that hold information. The social responsibility theory does not deal with the realities of economic power, which is a huge problem since the media is mainly corporate owned and publicly traded with profitable corporations. Mass media is so powerful that we naturally should question it's intentions when providing us with information. Our book mentions "can the watchdog be trusted when it is inexorably entwined with the institutions it is watching?" which really helps frame the dilemma that our media and its consumers are faced with.

I don't think it's wrong for the media to be prioritizing in hopes of gaining profits, I think that is a natural instinct of anyone with a job. We now have an overwhelming amount of data to sift through and finding credible sources isn't as easy as it should be. The internet has created more competition and more voices that are loaded with information.

As profit in fragmented media market declines, profit declines as well.

I am a fashion blogger so this is a topic that hits close to home for me. I treat my blog like a business and interact with my audience. I want my blog to be focused on quality of content, which our book discusses as something that is rare to come across now. Journalists want to get the newest information out first and skip over details that we once had more time and control over.

T.V is coming to the point where we may only be hearing and seeing one huge conglomerate view. We are losing our ability to view other opinions and types of programming because the same conglomerations are making the decisions. However I do think that there is now the advent of blogging and hearing everyone's opinion, which can be hard to ignore. I prefer blogs because of their honesty (or so I'd like to hope) but I can use my own knowledge and get an understanding of the blogger's intentions and credibility. I think blogging will be much more mainstream and used for advertising.

Chapter 6

I have trouble reading anything about politics. The language and material both bore me which isn't something I'm proud of. I have watched The Colbert Report and sort of laughed at what he talks about, but a lot of late night comedians talk about the news, which I don't keep up on.
Bruce Williams came up with a 4 part test to see if information has political relevance:
1. Is the info useful
2. Is the info sufficient
3. Is the info trustworthy
4. Who is the audience.

These are all great things to consider when creating and reading any type of news story or even blog post.

Our book discusses the process of getting elected and that advertisement plays a huge role in how we determine our candidate. The commercials in their campaigns give us a brief bit of exposure on the candidates political views but the ads are not always distributed equally. Much of the stories on ads will come from a news outlet. Candidates can now have websites and advertise online which will let their views be heard by all of the states, not just the battleground ones.

I don't watch a lot of television, so if I was voting I would get most of my information online or from word of mouth. I have seen advertisements on T.V where one candidate is attacking another. I think that does not look respectful and there are other ways to call attention to your candidacy.Political advertising should be factual and rational based on the candidate who is advertising- I think they should leave their competition out of their advertisements.

It is hard to create a relationship with a presidential leader and put trust in him/her if we don't get a grasp on their whole story. Candidates moves and words are scripted while they are running their campaign  and they become a spectacle themselves.

Chapter 5: Privacy : Looking for Privacy in the

Privacy is personal and a way to show respect for one another. Our book states that privacy is dynamic and open to change because of how society views certain issues, such as abortion. This reminded me of the movie Absence of Malice where the woman has an abortion and Sally Field goes "it's the 80s, it's no big deal anymore" when she was discussing reporting it in the paper. What one person views as private another person might view as commonplace and acceptable for public knowledge.

Celebrities and public figures have less privacy than regular people because of their broad exposure and monetary value to the media. We need privacy to develop a sense of who we are and to form ourselves without judgement (hey maybe this is why celebrities are so screwed up?!). We can try out who we want to be and pick the best fit, without having to worry about being embarrassed by others.

The need for privacy is more of an ethical situation because of the protection it offers ourselves. Privacy is also something that can be controlled and accessed on a personal level so we can set boundaries for others as to how far and what we are willing to share. I think that privacy is a need because if we didn't have it we would be emotionally messed up. In private you can let your guard down and also vent emotions that you can't do in a public environment. This made me think is privacy a concrete thing- like a bedroom in your house? Or is it something more, like a state of mind or a lock we mentally put on thoughts we don't people to know or actions we would rather not share with the internet.

Chapter 4 Loyalty

Loyalty is part of the social contract when we are deciding to whom or what we should be loyal to. We may be forced to choose between different loyalties, which I know I have had to do during my time at college. I am very loyal to myself and to my goals because life is supposed to be about catching your biggest fish. Honestly I have always gone about things my own way and despised school and any type of environment that was governed by rules and authority. I did not willingly want to be loyal to school and give my time to things like homework and studying.

Loyalty also has limits within people, how far I am willing to go for what I am loyal towards is different than someone else. I am very determined and loyal but I will not do something that is morally wrong to accomplish something.

Royce believed that being loyal was being devoted to a cause or person. He also said that your loyalty shouldn't only be to yourself. This is something I have trouble doing because I feel that young college students should carve out the time to be completely devoted to yourself and to point yourself in the direction of your dreams. I think being selfish can have negative connotations but I also think that the people who have been extremely successful in life have taken the initiative to believe in themselves and work solely on themselves.

Loyalty as an ethical guide has problems. A cause that is worthy of loyalty should harmonize with the loyalties of the community. This is a noble idea but I also don't think realistically people form loyalties based on the greater good of the world. I think they are personal and more self centered.

William May also discussed the four types of loyalties: 1. Loyalties arising from shared humanity, 2. Loyalties arising from professional practice 3. Loyalties arising from employment, 4. Loyalties arising from the media's role in public life. These are idealistic values that aren't easily adopted.

Chapter 2: Information Ethics: A profession seeks the truth

We consider truth to be a set in stone idea. The concept of truth has changed throughout history. Telling the truth means being able to recognize the truth and explain it in the clearest way possible. I babysit, and I am also a college student so I've come to the realization that for the most part only kids and drunk people tell the truth. Well, there are some exceptions, I like to think I am pretty honest, or at least my intentions are.

 

Way before we had print and cell phones, oral communication was how information was passed down. This culture linked truth to remembrance, because the human brain only has so much capacity for information so we had to remember the key facts. This reminds me of the game telephone, when we whisper in the ear and pass a phrase down a long line of people, the message at the end is usually distorted from what the sender originally intended. There is also the phrase "seeing is believing" and that truth has to be visual for some people. My mom is one of those people who doesn't want to hear an apology, she wants to see it in action.

 

Seeing is believing when we are trying to sell a product. In advertisement we can sell false truths to our audience to get them engaged in a product. I buy beauty products that claim to do everything under the sun, but its effects don't always add up to what it claims to do. When we see something on our screen, be it computer or television, we assume that it has to be true... it is there right before our eyes in color and pixels. How could it be false? We forget to take into account how edited our society and the media it produces has become. With the right editing, cutting, splicing, pasting, and Photoshopping we can create the truth we wish people to see.

 

Plato linked truth to human rationality and intellect. Others believe truth is revealed by only God and the Church. Truth has become increasingly tied to what is written down, what can be empirically verified, and what can be perceived by the human senses.

 

Then along came objectivity into the realm of journalism. Objectivity watered down is the requirement that journalists divorce fact from opinion. Its premise is to refuse to allow individual bias to influence what is reported and how.

We now have to decipher facts and truth with the world wide web. This overflow of information means we have to be wary of underlying views. Convergence journalism, using sounds, images, and words to cover stories, is now widespread in online news outlets like The Huffington Post. We now have even more information to sift through to decipher what's true, relevant, and important to us individually. This made me think how one story can have a profound affect on DIFFERENT audiences. Take the award shows for example; okay I am not interested in the written articles but I sure would love to see the best dresses and beauty products/tips from the night. Where as say, an avid music listener like Professor Limon is more interested in who won best song at the Grammy's. Advertisers may be interested in product placement during award ceremonies or sponsorship. With our own interests being the driving force, information is given to us an a customize able way. Remember those surveys that tell us what kind of learner we are? That sort of reminds me how convergence journalism can be put to good use- I really just want to see the video from event A so I will just watch the video feed from my favorite news site.

 

We discussed in my prior communications class how a news story comes into being, like who picks out this stuff anyway? Close your eyes and picture a journalist. I pictured someone that looks like Stephen Colbert. Journalists have primarily been white males, from middle to upper class with high education backgrounds. Our book discusses how journalists look like the people they are working for; the vibrant and optimistic middle and upper class.The press has to be aware of the contradictions that come with the job descriptions of a reporter. They must be neutral yet investigative, fair minded but have an edge.

 

When we package the news story we have to add elements that will pique human interest. This reminds me of our previous Communication class on reporting, we were given assignments to write leads and short stories. In the instance of stories like the cop cars, drunk drivers, and cars driving into gas meters, word placement and choice was crucial. The most important thing came first, so that we could grab the audience. Then we would add drama by adding in juicy words like "scared" "terrified" etc. Our book also touched on how science is reported in the media: either "new hope" or "no hope" when really there is grey areas. We tend to report peak moments and not the actual process that led to catastrophes and chaos.

 

Truth is more than just a collection of facts. We have to be our own investigators and researchers and use an open mind to new truths that are revealed to us. Staying educated and staying current is crucial.

 

 

 

Chapter 1 Notes

I have always been a fan of quotes and the people who say them. I think I idolize people who are virtuous and model ethical behavior. Aristotle said that a way to learn ethics is to select heroes that  you admire and model behavior according to what you think they would do. It is important to also have a mind of your own and not just copy off of what they do. I use this tactic in my daily life by picking traits I like about certain people and trying to model them myself. Aristotle also said that you can become something by doing acts that are related to it; for example you can become brave by doing brave acts.

Immanuel Kant coined categorical imperative, which implies that you should act so your choices could be universal law and treat humanity as an end, never as just a means. For me this is the hardest theory to grasp because it focuses on the action itself. I tend to associate ethics as a more personal thing and that it would come down to the person who is deciding in the ethical dilemma. Aristotle believes in placing the emphasis on the actor as well. However things like rules that have been set in stone could apply here, and that everyone must follow by these rules. We have to act from a sense of duty rather than what we personally want. I disagree with this view because 1.) I am selfish and think life is too short to be straight edged and miserable abiding by every rule that is set in front of you. 2.) The people I admire are ones that took risks and did things for themselves and focused on their dreams rather than on ethical duty. I don't agree with being reckless but I do agree with being selfish, within reason.

Utilitarianism views harming one person for the benefit of a larger group as ethical. It can more clearly identify right and wrong and conflicts are better resolved. It focuses on the consequences of an action. It makes quantity and quality equal- no one is placed higher than the other or given advantages.