Bachelor
2024/2025
Media Ethics
Type:
Compulsory course (Media Communications)
Area of studies:
Media Communications
Delivered by:
Department of Media
When:
3 year, 1 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Mikhail Tyurkin
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
4
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The course “Media Ethics” will introduce the students to the complex and evolving landscape of ethical considerations in journalism, public relations and advertising in the digital age. Particular emphasis will be placed on ethical dilemmas faced by media practitioners when dealing with fake news, misinformation, privacy concerns, conflicts of interest, coverage of military conflicts and moral feelings of various social groups. Students will examine case studies and real-world examples to critically analyze the moral decisions made by media professionals. They will also explore the ethical frameworks and principles that guide decision-making in the media industry. By the end of the course, students will have a deep understanding of the importance of ethical standards in media and develop the skills to navigate moral challenges in their own media careers.
Learning Objectives
- The familiarization of students with the key concepts and debates in academia and media industry concerning ethical regulation of the contemporary media system.
- The ability to practically implement this theoretical apparatus in media production and analytics.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Students understand the social, cultural, and economic origins of ethics
- Students are aware of the role reputation plays in contemporary society and the media industry
- Students have the skills of ethical analysis of media discourse
- Students can critically analyze the impact of technological achievements on the evolution of media ethics
- Students can critically analyze the impact of current cultural trends and social movements on the evolving landscape of media ethics
- Students understand the methods of ethical regulation of ‘journalistic’ and ‘non-journalistic’ media
- Students are capable of reckoning ethical dilemmas in the production, distribution, and consumption of media content
- Students understand and apply the guidelines of the basic codes of media ethics in their daily professional practice
- Students can participate in public debates on media ethics in compliance with ethical rules and standards
- Students understand and follow the rules and standards of ethical behavior when dealing with media professionals, newsmakers, sources of information, and audiences
- Students are capable of using storytelling techniques to create content on controversial topics that have to do with media ethics.
Course Contents
- Introduction to Media Ethics
- The Origins of Ethics
- Reputation Management and Ethics
- Journalism Ethics and Ethical Codes
- Gathering Information: Ethical Aspects
- Distribution of Information: Ethical Aspects
- New Media, New Ethics?
- Cyber Ethics, Digital Ethics, and Media Ethics
Assessment Elements
- Participation during the classesStudents participate in discussions in the classroom with the teacher and with each other, forming dialogical communication, and demonstrating background erudition as well as knowledge gained during the preparation for the class. Discussions are centered around research papers, journalistic materials, audio, and video content the teacher asks them to familiarize themselves with in advance. They can also be based on the presentation the students prepare for the class on media ethics-related topics given by the instructor beforehand.
- Debates on media ethicsThe task is to discuss several controversial cases from the history of the Russian or foreign media industry through the prism of debates. The students split into groups, each consisting of 6-8 persons, and distribute the roles in their team. In every team, there should be at least one speaker to present the chief arguments, at least two ‘official opponents’ to ask questions to the opposite group, and at least two ‘advocates’ to answer the questions of the competitors. Each group aims to convince the others of their point of view on the problem and suggest a solution to the ethical dilemma. The cases will be announced a week before and the groups will be formed at the same time.
- Media ProjectThe students are expected to create individually or in small groups (2-5 persons) an analytical article, expert interview, or any other material (video, podcast, series of posts) relevant to the current news agenda and raising media ethical issues. The size of the text is 10000-16000 characters. The timing of audio or video content is 5-20 minutes. The topic, format, and genre should be chosen and discussed with the tutor in advance.
Interim Assessment
- 2024/2025 1st module0.2 * Debates on media ethics + 0.5 * Media Project + 0.3 * Participation during the classes
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Clifford G. Christians, Mark Fackler, Kathy Brittain Richardson, & Peggy Kreshel. (2020). Media Ethics : Cases and Moral Reasoning. Routledge.
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Лазутина, Г. В. Профессиональная этика журналиста : учебник и практикум для академического бакалавриата / Г. В. Лазутина. — 4-е изд., испр. и доп. — Москва : Издательство Юрайт, 2019. — 219 с. — (Бакалавр. Академический курс). — ISBN 978-5-534-07482-6. — Текст : электронный // Образовательная платформа Юрайт [сайт]. — URL: https://urait.ru/bcode/445030 (дата обращения: 28.08.2023).