Explain The Responsibility Of The Media And Social Responsibility

Matasha L. Weaver

The Media and Its Responsibility

SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility

Instructor: Benjamin Wright

October 27, 2014

The media plays a daily role in our lives. It can be seen or heard, even when we are unaware. It is literally a medium for communication for the whole world. The media has the weight of the world on its shoulders and because of this, has a responsibility to deliver ethical and accurate information to the public. This paper will demonstrate what media is, the responsibility of the media to the public, and will explore the ethical theories and alternative perspectives that can be applied to media and its social responsibility. What is media? Dictionary.com defines media as, “A plural of medium; the means of communication, as radio and

This is a much debated topic. Reporters can be challenged with ethical dilemmas that range from truthfulness, appropriate photographs, and conflicts of interest. According to Ralph Hannson, author of Mass Communication: Living in a Media World, “Journalists and their employers can apply a variety of methods for enforcing and implementing ethical behavior. These include employing an ombudsman, requiring commitment to ethical behavior on the part of all employees, and adhering to a code of ethics” (Hannson, R. 2014, Chapter 14, para 3). Most media outlets will go out of their way to ensure that a code of ethics are set in pace and are being followed; however there are a few outlets that report false information intentionally. These types of satirical media outlets have been known to report everything from biblical prophecies to celebrity death hoaxes. These forms of media generally state somewhere that they are satirical and the information being disclosed is false and intended to be entertainment, but there will always be those out there who will believe anything they read online or in the Global