JOMC 141.1—Professional Problems and Ethics
Summer 2014
Instructor: Sriram "Sri" Kalyanaraman, PhD
Associate Professor & Director
Media Effects Laboratory
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
(NOT)
Meeting Times: MTWRF: 1.15 pm – 2.45 pm in 283, Carroll.
Office Hours: MTWR: 11.30 am – 12.15 pm (and by appointment) at 369, Carroll.
Course Overview: In many ways, our decisions define who we are. As humans, we have all—at some point or the other—been in situations where the questions have ranged from: “Should I be doing this?” to “Is this right?” Indeed, the decision-making literature enjoys a rich academic lineage with theoretical and empirical insights from such diverse disciplines as philosophy and psychology. In a media-saturated world, the scenarios, venues, and opportunities wherein we are exposed to ethical conundrums or dilemmas are exponentially magnified. This course attempts to expose students to the many different ways in which ethical issues in mass communication can impact self and society. Through a combination of lectures, readings, assignments, and projects, you will develop a nuanced understanding of diverse ethical issues in journalism and mass communication. We will explore domain-specific issues (e.g., advertising, new media) and content-specific issues (e.g., stereotypes, health communication) while also seeking—wherever applicable—to situate them within a socio-legal-political lens. In addition, and when pertinent, I will offer ethical perspectives from other fields and research traditions so that you are exposed to the many aspects of ethics, in general. At the end of the course, I expect you to become more discerning thinkers with a deeper appreciation and understanding of ethical issues in mass communication.
Course Objectives: The course objectives are:
- To develop a critical understanding of the theory and practice of ethics in journalism and mass communication;
- To analyze ethical issues in a variety of media domains;
- To develop—and apply—a personal code of ethics in your chosen media profession; and
- To have fun (and learn) in a laidback atmosphere.
Textbook: Patterson, P., & Wilkins, L. (2010, 7th edition). Media ethics: Issues and cases. New York: McGraw-Hill. In addition, I will hand out selected readings during the course of the semester.
Grading Events
Exam: There will be one multiple-choice exam accounting for 20 percent of the course grade. The examis designed to test your mastery of the materials presented in the readings.
Technology and Ethics Assignment: This assignment requires you to create a Website based on certain conceptual principles of identity and personalization. After creating the site and interacting with it during the course of the semester, you will be asked to provide a short critique based on the ethical issues that are at stake. More detailed guidelines will be spelled out in the assignment handout. This assignment accounts for 10 percent of the course grade (5 percent for participation and 5 percent for the written component).
Group Project: The group project is designed to showcase the application of theory to practice. Groups of 4 students will examine one or more issues pertaining to media ethics and offer an in-depth analysis based on what you have learned in class. You will have a lot of latitude and flexibility in choosing a particular issue (or, set of issues). As part of your project, you will be required to make a short, in-class presentation (approximately 10 minutes) as well as turn in a brief, one-page summary (app. 500 words). The relevance of your chosen issue, the conceptual clarity of your arguments, the depth of your analysis, and the quality of your in-class presentation as well as your written summary will determine your grade on this assignment. The group project assignment accounts for 20 percent of the course grade.
“Reaction” Assignments: This aspect of the course is designed to provide experiential learning. You will be asked to provide short reaction summaries centered on events and experiences that are consistent with the course objectives. These could involve gauging your reactions to a certain article, class readings, a Website, a guest lecture, a video clip, a case study, etc. Altogether, the assignments account for 30 percent of your grade and further instructions (as applicable) will be detailed during the course of the semester.
“Ethics Goes to the Movies” Assignment: This assignment requires you to offer a detailed critique to a movie (that we will watch in class). Your analysis will incorporate salient conceptual principles while also addressing specific questions that will be given to you as an assignment handout. This assignment accounts for 10 percent of the course grade.
“Current Events and Media Ethics” Assignment: This assignment requires you to write about a topic that is in the news and that has ethical implications. This could be about strategic communication ethics (e.g., advertising, public relations), broadcast ethics, news ethics, new media ethics (e.g., web, social media, robotics, video games, nanotechnology), entertainment ethics (e.g., movies), sports journalism ethics, etc. As you can see, there are many possibilities, but the only criterion is that it should be related to an event that is current and has been “in the news.” For purposes of the assignment, we will define “current” as anything that has cropped up in the media after May 13.
You will need to turn ina short paper(at least 500 words) on or before June 1. This assignment accounts for 10 percent of the course grade.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory for every class meeting, but I will allow two absences. Beyond that, a missed class will reduce your grade (e.g., if you miss 3 classes and have a grade of “A,” your final grade for the course will be an “A-; 4 missed classes will result in a grade of “B+,” and so on). Given the nature of the class, you may have a hard time doing well on the assignments without regular attendance.
Class Participation: The level of engagement you display during class meetings, as well as the caliber of your comments and questions will determine how much you get out of this class. Therefore, it is important that you have read the assigned readings ahead of time and come prepared with questions, probes, suggestions, etc.
Schedule: The schedule includes the main topics for each week and the reading required for the meeting. The lectures will add different perspectives to the existing material. Students are expected to have completed the assigned readings BEFORE coming to class.
Policy on Academic Integrity: Students are expected to conform to the Honor Code in all academic matters. For more information on the Honor Code, please visit the following URL: or feel free to speak to me or someone at the Office of the Student Attorney General or the Office of the Dean of Students.
Electronic Etiquette: 1) Kindly switch off your cellular phones before entering class; 2) E-mails that fail to conform to basic fundamentals of etiquette (such as appropriate salutation/title, subject heading, signature, etc.) will NOT receive a response, as I consider such mails to be spam and delete them immediately; and 3) If you use a laptop and/or any other device to access the Web, please ensure that you do not distract either the instructor and/or other students by using it for matters unrelated to the class. In the event of non-compliance, you will not be allowed to use the device in class for the rest of the semester. Keep in mind too, that every instance involving the abuse of a laptop/mobile/electronic device will result in a reduction of a letter grade from your final grade (e.g., an “A” reducing to an “A-“ for one transgression).
Note: Based on your input and our progress, I reserve the right to amend and change the syllabus, reading schedules, and grading events during the semester.The final course grade will be calculated using the University’s grading standards adopted by the Faculty Council.
Course Schedule
05/13INTRODUCTION TO CLASS
No assigned reading
05/14CONCEPTUAL PRINCIPLES
Patterson & Wilkins Ch. 1
05/15CONCEPTUAL PRINCIPLES
Patterson & Wilkins Ch. 1
05/16PROFESSIONAL CODES OF ETHICS (FORMATION OF GROUPS)
No assigned reading (see handout)
05/19THE ETHICAL-MORAL COMPASS
Patterson & Wilkins Ch. 4
05/20THE ETHICAL-MORAL COMPASS: THE ISSUE OF PRIVACY
Patterson & Wilkins Ch. 5
05/21ETHICAL ISSUES IN PRINT JOURNALISM
Patterson & Wilkins Ch. 2
05/22Guest lecture by Dr. Janas Sinclair, UNC
05/23TBA
05/27PERSUASION & ETHICS
Patterson & Wilkins Ch. 3
05/28MOVIE & DISCUSSION
No assigned reading
05/29Guest lecture by Dr. Tino Meitz, Tubingen University, Germany
05/30BROADCAST JOURNALISM & ETHICS
Patterson & Wilkins Ch. 8
06/02NEW MEDIA & ETHICS
Patterson & Wilkins Ch. 9
06/03ETHICAL ISSUES IN IMMERSIVE MEDIA
06/04ETHICAL ISSUES IN ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA
Patterson & Wilkins Ch. 10
06/05EXAM REVIEW
No assigned reading
06/06 EXAM
No assigned reading
06/09GROUP PROJECT WORKDAY
06/10GROUP PROJECT WORKDAY
06/11 GROUP PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
No assigned reading
06/12GROUP PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
No assigned reading
06/13WRAP UP & REVIEW
No assigned reading
06/15Electronic version of ethics paper (for the group project) due before midnight EST