The Golden Mean - Essay Example

The Golden Mean This is an ethical decision making rule that is expected to guide the conduct and operations of journalists. Formulated by Aristotle, the golden mean proposes that moral behaviors are essentially the means between two extreme ends. On the one hand is excess and on the other hand, deficiency. It is therefore important for one to find the right position between these two extremes to settle upon. It is therefore important for journalist to clearly create a balance on whatever they report focusing on the consequences and the need to report the truth. In any case, even the bitter truth can always be reported in a right way that does not create many ripples. It is further important to note that there is no single universal middle that can apply to all situations The importance of the golden rule lies in it affirmation of the balance needed in life. All human beings should always have the ability to balance different situations depending on the nature. For instance courage is an important virtue that creates a balance between cowardice which is a deficiency and recklessness which is an excess. The golden mean is not simply the arithmetic middle between situations. Rather, every situation has its own unique middle which should always be sought. Deontological Ethics The deontological moral systems are usually characterized by the emphasis on adherence and observance of a set of independent moral values and obligations. In this case, we must clearly understand what our moral duties are before we can make the right moral judgments. More importantly, there must be proper rules to guide and regulate those moral duties. As such, when people observe these duties, they are considered to be behaving morally. On the other hand, a failure to follow the duties constitutes immoral behavior. The deontological system therefore provides an explanation on why certain actions are usually performed. More importantly, the mere observance of these rules is never enough. The behaviors must be driven by the correct motivations and not simply because the rules exist. There must be objective and absolute thought in all actions of humanity before such judgments can be made. One important thing about deontological ethics is the fact that they are completely separated from the effects that immoral actions might have. Subjectivisms and relativism are strongly condemned in deontological systems of thought. On the contrary, one challenge about deontological moral systems is that they do not provide any clear way of resolving conflicts arising out of moral duties. Ethics of care Ethics of care is basically a normative theory of ethics which seeks to determine what makes actions right or wrong. Indeed, it is normally seen that some actions are regarded as right while others are deemed wrong. However, people might not always understand the line between right and wrong and the issues around that. Ethics of care focus on the importance of response. It totally opposes the use of universal judgment in making decisions whether right or wrong. As such, for the media practitioners, it is always important to understand some of the right or wrongs they report. According to the theory, it is seen that all individuals are normally interdependent on the achievement of their various interests. It is further seen that some people are usually vulnerable to the choices of others and the outcomes in such cases need extra consideration. In a way, ethics of care contrasts the commonly ethical views of deontology and utilitarianism which most women view to be the right angle for looking at the concept of morality. In the media world, journalists will always encounter a number of issues relating to such contradictions and they must effectively report the right situations. In this case, there must a balanced view when looking at the concept of morality so as not to discredit any gender. Potter Box The potter box is an ethical framework that is crucial in analyzing various ethical dilemma realized in communication. It utilizes four categories which are identified as universal in all ethical dilemmas. These include: Facts, Values, Principle, and Loyalties. The facts occur at the definition stage and include all the issues at hand. At this stage, the analyst is supposed to set out the facts without reference or any judgment. Values comprise the second stage where the analyst is supposed to state and compare all the advantages of the different values in order to realize their effects on the decision making process. The principles comprise the third stage which is essentially the ethical models or philosophies applicable to the situation. On the basis of the various ethical philosophies, the analyst is better placed in understanding the situation and making the right judgments in the process. A number of ethical philosophies can actually be utilized at this stage. Loyalty stage is basically concerned with who the analyst has allegiance to. For instance as a journalist the first loyalty should always be directed to the public. Other allegiances can be directed to the employers, co-workers and industry organizations. Having loyalty to the right party is very important in providing the right orientation on our undertakings. Al Jazeera Case In analyzing the Al Jazeera case using the Potter Box, it is important to first identify the facts. In this respect, it is seen that the station gives airplay to the activities of the terrorists more than the western media does. It is the only station that directly aired Osama’s voice clips for the whole world to hear. With respect to the values, the focus is whether such practices can help addresses the situations being addressed. Can the images stir a lot of disturbing images on the minds of people? Indeed, according to what the station airs, it is true that may people are affected in this respect by the images sometimes aired especially in relation to war. Similarly, the station seems to convey the images in an honest manner as opposed to the manner in which some media houses hide the facts. On the principles, we can use the Golden rule in analyzing the situations in which it can be argued that Al Jazeera should seek to balance the ground and find a middle ground upon which to settle. This is important while informing the world on various happenings. In such a case, they would not report some situations which are considered wrong in the West. Regarding loyalty, Al Jazeera seems to be loyal first and foremost to its audience than to anyone else. In this case, they report directly what happens on the ground. It is on the basis of this ground that the station has earned many enemies not only in the West but also across the Middle East. In the Arab world it is quite common for the media to be used in serving the interest of the rulers and since Al Jazeera has not always aligned itself towards that orientation, it is deemed to be supporting terrorist activities. I therefore find that Aljazeera is justified in certain situations on reporting what happens but should exercise restraint at times depending on the situations. My decision regarding this case is basically informed by some of the ethical obligations that revolve around journalism. For instance, when the station shows images of dead people without warning as always expected, it appears very improper especially to the relatives of the deceased. It is certainly the duty of the station to inform the people about the truth. However, as seen in the golden mean ethical rule, a balance has to be created between the need to convey the truth on one hand and the dangers of doing so in a direct and open way. I can therefore strongly support the argument that Al Jazeera has not always practiced much restraint on some of its reporting on the affairs of the Middle East. Violence is always a dreaded affair and should therefore be reported quite professionally and in the most appropriate manner. In the case of Al Jazeera, this has not always been observed. I therefore made these decisions on the basis of the professional ethics that guide journalism and the need to uphold media ethics. More importantly, I can strongly defend the choices in public because they are based on professional judgment and the need to ensure proper coexistence between the media and the society. References Christians, C. G. (1998). Media ethics: cases and moral reasoning. (5th ed.). New York: Longman. . Read More