Media Ethics on a Stick

Some possible ethical guidelines:

1.         The Golden Mean (Aristotle): “Moral virtue is the appropriate location between two extremes.”

2.         The Categorical Imperative (Kant): “ Act on that maxim which you will to become a universal law.”

3.         The Principle of Utility (Mill): “Seek the greatest happiness for the greatest number.”

4.         The Veil of Ignorance (Rawls): “Justice emerges when negotiating without social differentiations.”

5.         The Golden Rule: “Do unto others has you would have them do unto you.”

To whom is ethical duty owed:

Short answer, everyone.

Long answer: ethical and political questions shift as the constituency shifts – each context may bring up new questions.  Some possible contexts:

1.            Ourselves

2.         People we serve: public, audience, constituency, clients, etc.

3.         Small collectives: family, small social or cultural groups, organizations, or even businesses.

4.         Large collectives: cities, states, professions, religions, etc.

5.         The whole society – everybody.

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