978-0133804058 Chapter 15

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CHAPTER 15 – BUSINESS AND MEDIA ETHICS

General Overview

As with the last chapter rights and obligations are explored but this time in relation to business

and the media. The basic dispute with respect to business is whether making profits is the only

obligation it has or whether it has other obligations to the consumer, the employee, the

environment, etc. Business might, for example, be obligated to make positions available to

certain groups because they have been discriminated against. In media ethics the topic of

advertising is problematic since pressure to sell the product might offend against truth,

responsibility, and other values. The basic moral issue in journalism often boils down to a

contest between the “public’s right to know” and the “individual right to privacy.”

Class Suggestions

There are a number of good recent cases that fit into the ambit of this chapter, including Enron,

the recent Supreme Court decision regarding affirmative action and the University of Michigan,

and numerous high profile cases involving the media (particularly the ones mentioned in the

textbook). Instructors should use these to bring out and focus on the main concepts and

questions. A mini research project on affirmative action at their own college might be

illuminating. Many students will already have work experience, so drawing on that could also

prove to be a very useful source of data for moral examination.

Chapter Summary

Rights and Obligations in Business

Both general and specific rights and obligations are involved in business, e.g., right to pursue

opportunities for employment as well as right to fairness, honesty, and truth in business dealings.

Two Ways of Approaching Rights and Obligations in Business

1. Competitive approach – “Dog eat dog” or “free enterprise” winner makes biggest profits,

losers go out of business

2. Government control – State ownership of business enterprises

3. Moderate position – Free enterprise with some government controls, as system of checks and

balances to overcome the excesses of the other approaches

Justice, Truth Telling, and Honesty in Business

Three types of justice in business:

1. Exchange justice

2. Distributive justice

3. Social justice

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Honesty and Truth Telling

Honesty and truth telling are important in a range of activities especially concerning advertising

and safety.

Ethical Issues in Business

Advertising

Two main approaches:

1. Anything goes approach

2. The truthful approach

Business and the Environment

Three positions:

1. Primacy of business – Business gives consumers what they want. This is their only

responsibility.

2. Primacy of environment – Businesses must take responsibility for their part in maintaining

the environment or putting right any damage it causes.

3. Moderate position – All to blame, not just business. Must work together to safeguard

environment.

Affirmative Action and Reverse Discrimination

Argument for Discrimination:

1. Business practices are the employer’s own affairs.

2. Business should not be singled out to make amends for practices that occurred everywhere.

3. Businesses should not be prevented from hiring the employees they prefer.

Argument Against Discrimination:

1. Discrimination in employment is one of the worst kinds of discrimination since its effects are

so far reaching.

2. Owed recompenses for actions committed against them.

3. Affirmative action will right the wrongs of the past.

Moderate Position:

Affirmative action should be implemented but not by hiring less qualified workers.

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Sexual Harassment

Unwanted sexual advances, or unwanted visual, verbal, or physical conducts of a sexual nature.

Arguments That Sexual Harassment Is Not Immoral

1. Enlivening the workplace

2. Women and men are naturally sexually attracted to one another

3. Positions of power imply certain rights

4. Often those being harassed ask for or cause sexual harassment

Arguments That Sexual Harassment Is Immoral

1. Unfairness of treatment

2. Creation of a hostile or offensive working environment

3. Positions of authority do not imply power over personal lives

4. Attraction does not imply involvement

5. Harassed often “ask for it” is false

Media Ethics

Journalism’s Ideal

The “pursuit of truth.” Does the pursuit of the ideal legitimate any method of acquiring

information? Is lying to get the truth acceptable?

Public Right to Know versus Individual Right to Privacy

Perhaps the most significant moral problem. Test problem in relation to examples, e.g., Princess

Diana, President Clinton, etc. Where should the lines be drawn?

Corporate Greed – Enron

1. Lied about profits

2. Conflict of interest with auditors (Arthur Anderson)

3. AA’s shredding of evidence

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

Rights

Obligations

Business

Justice

Truth-Telling

Honesty

Affirmative Action

Reverse Discrimination

Sexual Harassment

Right to Know

Right to Privacy

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ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. Do businesses have any obligations other than profits? Use examples in your answer to

critically evaluate this question.

2. Is it immoral for a company to exaggerate or even “stretch the truth” in their advertising if

jobs are at stake? Discuss the moral principles involved here and try to justify your position.

3. Is affirmative action morally justifiable?

4. If one person takes offense at a titillating office email does that constitute sexual harassment

or is this a case of someone being overly sensitive? Discuss the moral concerns that relate to

this issue.

5. When Princess Diana died, were journalists pursuing a story that the public had a “right to

know”?

TRUE/FALSE

1. According to the author “business ethics” is an oxymoron.

2. An obligation is what I am entitled to by law.

3. There are two highly divergent ways of approaching rights and obligations in business.

4. Social justice is concerned with how business and the media treat consumers and members of

society.

5. Doing anything you can to get the customer to buy the product is known in advertising as the

fairest approach.

6. Prejudice means literally “prejudgment” before having any experience of that which one

judges.

7. One argument for discrimination is that a company’s business practices are its own affair.

8. One survey found that 4 in 5 students have been sexually harassed at some point in their

school life.

9. Enron had a 65 page long code of ethics.

10. The media represent events – they do not create them.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

11. According to the author, no right is so important that it __________ supersedes all the others.

a) often

b) always

c) mostly

d) never

12. The approach to rights and obligations in business – which stresses a laissez faire attitude

without controls – is sometimes called

a) the government control approach.

b) the moderate position.

c) the competitive approach.

d) the ethical approach.

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13. The type of justice that involves reimbursement for services rendered is called

a) Exchange Justice.

b) Distributive Justice.

c) Social Justice.

d) Retributive Justice.

14. The moral approach to advertising is the __________ approach.

a) anything goes

b) buyer beware

c) truthful

d) moderate

15. Business has no responsibilities to the environment or society, only consumers and

shareholders. This is known as the

a) primacy of the environment view.

b) primacy of business view.

c) moderate view.

d) primacy of society view.

16. The moderate position on affirmative action says that

a) blacks and women are inferior.

b) a business employer’s practices are private.

c) quotas, goals, and timetable must be established.

d) AA must be taken at all levels and employers should have the freedom to hire who they wish.

17. The bases for arguments against sexual harassment are that

a) all people deserve to be treated with respect.

b) it is now socially unacceptable.

c) in the end it brings profits down.

d) it’s unfair on the men and women who don’t get any attention.

18. Who said that the ideal of journalism was the “communication of truth”?

a) The Disney corporation (who own ABC amongst others)

b) Patterson and Wilkins

c) Princess Diana

d) Bill Clinton

19. One of the main moral dilemmas in the media and journalism is

a) to get as many viewers/readers/listeners as possible.

b) the public’s right to know versus the individual right to privacy.

c) journalists expense accounts.

d) what to do about Ted Koppell’s hair.

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20. What does the Enron episode show?

a) How useless a code of ethics is unless embedded in practices.

b) How greedy human beings can be.

c) How important ethics is.

d) All of the above.

Answer Key to Chapter 15 Test Questions

True or False:

Multiple Choice: