Media ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Media ethics - Research Paper Example The media is important in information dissemination in the society. However, this would never be realized if some ethics are not observed. There are several areas where ethics is observed in the media sector. I am a journalist by profession hence I have a vast knowledge with regards to the ethical and legal implications in this career. As journalists, we act as the eye and the mind of the public. It is through our work that the public get to know the happenings in the nation and the world as a whole. We are the role models of several people, more so the teenagers, who tend to dress, act and behave the way we do. I must admit that journalism is one of the complex careers because everyone is watching, any slightest mistake or misconduct will go into record. This may make one lose his/her job or even arrested depending on the seriousness and nature of the misconduct. There are set of ethics and law that is meant to guide us while we interact with the public. The difference between law a nd ethics is that ethics is the good characters accepted by both man and God, but their violation has no legal consequences, while law is a set of regulations whose violation has some legal implications like an arrest or charges. ... This is mainly common in the political arena where a certain political leader may use his/her power to influence the news read to the public. Certain journalists may also decide to manipulate news content on the basis of personal interest. There is no specific law describing specific legal consequences to such act, but one may lose the public favor and lose his/her job. External stakeholders like advertising companies may cut their links with such media company. Social researchers indicate that major civil and international wars have been sparked by the manipulation of the actual facts. The public will have no time to evaluate the news but take it the way it is being read. Manipulating the news is like lying to the public which not only unethical but demoralizing. For instance, think of a situation a certain media house have used to announce hunger in a certain part of the country so that other citizens to rescue the situation, only to later realize that the hunger was faked so that some regional leaders could make personal gains. This would kill the trust between the public and the media company. The truth is another ethical issue in the journalism. The main aim of the media sector is keeping the public on the truthful side. A certain government may hide some issues from the public out of personal greed, but is the role of the media to reveal truth to the nation and the world as a whole. Media without truth is considered dead because it serves its purpose. The current constitutions of several democratic nations regard media as an independent entity and freedom of expression. This enables the media to report any situation the way it is. Language is another important ethical matter in the media sector. Ant media