Whether the Code of Ethics is an Effective Way of Effective Media Practice - Essay Example

Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Determining Role of Ethics/Codes towards a Secure Ethical Media Practice 3 2.1 Code of Ethics in Australian Media and Communication Industry 4 3. Identifying and analysing the Ways in which Ethics/Codes can be Changed or Developed in increasing Ethical Media Practices 6 3.1 Notifying Codes of Media Practices 7 3.2 Conserving Sensationalism 8 3.3 Aligning Media Contents or Media Enquiries with Authoritative Bodies 8 3.4 Resolving Complaints by Developing Effective Ethical Standards and Practices 9 4. Critical analysis of the Two Major Ethical Codes using Actual Media Examples in the context of Australian Codes for Media Practice 11 4.1 Ethical Codes of Reporting or Broadcasting Methods 11 4.2 Maintaining Appropriate Balance and Responsibility in Reporting 13 5. Conclusion 14 References 15 1. Introduction Ethics in media practices has long been witnessed as one of the major concern in the global media industry. In relation to the recent pace of globalisation, media industry has been undergoing to play pivotal role towards protecting interest as well as believe of the nations. Simultaneously, organisations and agencies associated with the global media industry are often observed to strictly adhere to their generous ethical policies in terms of transmitting communities over any concern or subject area (Whitehouse, 2010). Therefore, emphasising on the current debates around the media and communication regulations, the primary aim of this essay is to obtain an in-depth understanding whether or not the code of ethics/codes of practice are the set of effective way of an effective media practice. The essay also determines to develop effective ways of changing ethical codes or codes of practice that can increase efficiency of the media and communication industry. In addition, the essay also tends to clearly explain two different codes using actual media examples in the context of Australian media and communication code of practice. 2. Determining Role of Ethics/Codes towards a Secure Ethical Media Practice The emergence of developed techno-economic paradigm inevitably increases greater attention of the organisations or the agencies in order to revitalise their overall economic performance. According to the recent practices of the media and communication organisations it has been recognised that the codes of media related practices have drawn major interest towards increasing attention on a particular media enquiry, which has transformational influence on the overall communication and media industry (Christians, 2009). Moreover, the codes of practices also have been recognised to draw attention about any required changes in the media and communication policies in order to contribute to a transformational economy. However, ethics or the codes of media practices in Australia has also been recognised to bring major hurdles for the country’s media and communication industry in terms of substantially improving the media performance of the organisations (Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, 2013). Few of the key roles played by the ethics/codes of media practices have been critically described in the following sections. 2.1 Code of Ethics in Australian Media and Communication Industry According to the current media and communication of Australia, the codes of ethics has long been witnessed to play a pivotal role not only to increase community awareness, but it also has major contribution on the transformational economic growth of the nation. The code of ethics of the nation has also been recognised in securing best practices of the media and communication organisations along with their wide range of practices. The codes of ethics in Australian media industry possess relatively simple and clearly identifiable factors that determine to improve efficiency of the organisations. The code of ethics of the country relies basically on four major factors, including honesty, fairness, independence and respect for the rights and liberties of others (Australian Press Council, 2014). In the context of honesty, conserving the way of honestly reporting and interpreting essential facts has been identified as a set of common and relatively best practices in the Australian ethical codes of media practices. In order to meet the requirement of honesty in response to the ethical codes, the process of striving accuracy along with fairness and revelation of each essential fact can be dully accepted towards securing ethical media practices across the nation (Australian Press Council, 2014). In the similar context, fairness is also one of the most essential factors that tailor the efficacy of ethics or codes of media practices in Australia. In relation to the current ethical codes of practice, media and communication organisations are likely to conserve adequate emphasis in respond to personal characteristics, including gender, age, race, ethnicity, nationality and physically disability among others. Moreover, the fairness in the codes of practice also puts strong emphasis on providing fair opportunity to respond over any concern and ensure to strictly evade the influence of personal interests, benefits, beliefs and/or any other commitment among others (Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, 2013) Simultaneously, independence is also a major factor leading to secure ethical practice of media and communication based organisations. In relation to the current codes of practice in Australia, the organisations dealing with media and communication activities often aim to attribute relevant information and facts from their own independent sources. In this regard, the sources procured by the organisations seek adequate anonymity and do not agree to overlook the motives of the first source along with any other alternative sources of information or fact. Moreover, the media and communication based organisations in Australia are also likely to accept confidences. In this context, it can be stated that indolence also plays a major role similar to the other crucial attributes in terms of building secure ethical media practices in Australia (Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, 2013). Corresponding to the role of honesty, fairness and independence, the codes of protecting and respecting rights and liberties of others substantially increase the level of security of the ethical conducts practiced by the media and communication based organisations in Australia. According to ethics and code of media practice, the media agencies and organisations in Australia are liable to conserve privacy in the context of dealing with information or fact and personal grief. The ethical codes in Australia in this regard provide adequate rights to the journalists to defend against resist compulsion to intrude over any particular concern. In addition, the journalists or the media agencies or organisations are provided with adequate rights to disclose actual pictures and/or sounds that are real and precise (Australian Press Council, 2014). With reference to the fundamental ethics/codes of media practices, the factors are developed in order to increase efficiency of the organisations along with maintain adequate reliability and transparency of their day-to-day media and communication activities. The above said factors ensure media and communication industry of Australia to achieve and secure its media practices. 3. Identifying and analysing the Ways in which Ethics/Codes can be Changed or Developed in increasing Ethical Media Practices In this paradigm, the ethical codes or the codes of practice have become one of the most essential media determinants for the growing media and communication industry. The codes of practice that are adhered by the media and communication organisations has been widely accepted to improve the efficiency of organisations and enabled providing a major contribution towards fuelling the inevitable changes of the nations (Christians, 2009). In relation to the ways that have been critically discussed in the previous chapter, regarding changes in the ethics/codes of media practices in Australia can substantially increase the efficiency of organisations. The following suggested changes can substantially improve the ethical practices of the media and communication based organisations and it can also help in streamlining their activities towards protecting the right and strong image of the entire industry as well. 3.1 Notifying Codes of Media Practices In relation to the recent phenomenon in the media and communication industry, organisations or agencies are often recognised to face major hurdles due to the emergence of media bias within their practices. In relation to the codes of practice associated with the media activities, organisations conserve strong set of standards that protect the independence along with rights of the journalists and media organisation as well. The Sections and Statements of the Principles of the media organisations are highly required to develop an effective code of media practices with regard to their different media enquiries along with each media practices. Moreover, the media activities of the organisations should also need to provide appropriate notification regarding the detail information of the codes to the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA). Moreover, media practices are also required to comply with each provision underneath the Broadcasting Service Act 1992 of Australia. The compliance with each provision would enable the media practices to avoid numerous ethical practices of the media organisations and protect their actual interests within the nation (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2012). 3.2 Conserving Sensationalism Providing adequate focus on the sensationalism in media practices can substantially improve the ethics or codes of media practices in the Australian media and communication industry. In relation to the current media practices of the agencies and organisations, sensationalism has gained a major attention towards creating issues or complaints against the media organisations or agencies. In this regard, the issues associated with different types of factual errors are often observed as major and common obstacles for the organisations to maintain adequate compliance with their codes of ethics in practices. In order to avoid constraints of different common errors, the media agencies or organisations should develop separate set of codes of ethics in media practices to avoid complexities relating to the factual errors. In this way, the process of bringing effective changes in developing codes of media practices can substantially lower the risk of different factual errors over any particular sensitive concerns (Australian Press Council, 2014). 3.3 Aligning Media Contents or Media Enquiries with Authoritative Bodies In order to improve codes of media practices, ensuring appropriate alignment with administrative jurisdictions can also enable the media agencies to achieve progress in the codes of ethics concerning media practices. In this context, the codes of media practices must need to encompass media enquiries along with different media and communication activities associated with television and radio broadcasting along with internet based programming practices. Therefore, the ethical codes of media agencies should ensure that the ethical codes associated with each media practice are developed in accordance with the jurisdiction codes of ACMA under Section 150 and 151. Moreover, the media contents, including both print and online should also need to voluntarily confirm the provisions of Content Service Code in terms of transmitting services through television, radio and online or mobile service facilities. Therefore, ensuring an appropriate alignment with the jurisdiction codes of the nation can substantially improve the ethical practices of the media industry in Australia (Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, 2013). 3.4 Resolving Complaints by Developing Effective Ethical Standards and Practices The process of handling complaints in the media and communication industry often includes various types of hurdles that impose major risks for organisations in order to maintain their ethical media practices. In order to ensure adequate compliance with the code of ethics, seeking effective ways of resolving complaints with ethical measures rather than making harm against the claimant can substantially improve the ethical media practices. The media practices of agencies and organisations need to maintain effective ethical standards for correcting or clarifying issues associated with the complaints. In this regard, the ethical measures and practices of the media agencies and organisations must need to comply with the standards relevant to the complaint issues. According to the ACMA Standards, the media agencies are liable to ensure that the media contents and facts are justifiably appropriate and are delivered during any types of complaint related issues. In this regard, the standard of ensuring accuracy and appropriateness should also need to consider the role of ethical codes that prevents any type of factual errors relating to complaint issues. Moreover, the code of ethics in Australian media and communication industry should also need to impede media agencies in terms of presenting factual contents that can mislead audience or other related parties. The process can substantially improve the codes of ethical media practices of the agencies or organisations and it would also help to reduce potential issues that might be caused due to any type of complaints (Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, 2013). With reference to the aforesaid factors, the inclusion of notifying codes of media practices along with the process of ensuring compliance with sensationalism can substantially improve the way of the Australian media industry while practicing strong ethical standards. Moreover, ensuring to align media contents or activities associated with media enquiries with authoritative jurisdiction bodies can also reduce various types of hurdles that can bring issues associated with ethical media practices. Therefore, it is evident that the inclusion of above said aspects in the ethical codes can increase efficiency of the ethical media practices in Australia and improve the way towards performing different media activities across the nation. 4. Critical analysis of the Two Major Ethical Codes using Actual Media Examples in the context of Australian Codes for Media Practice The modern phenomenon across the global media industry has long been identified to experience numerous issues relating to ethical policies and practices of media agencies and/or organisations. The ethical constraints that are often recognised in the media industry are basically in its different media enquiries. In this regard, the most subtle media enquiries and process of delivering actual facts has also been recognised to face number of ethical issues with respect to the ethical policies and practices of media agencies or organisations (Australian Press Council, 2013). In relation to the current media and communication industry of Australia, the media codes of the nation plays a pivotal role in terms of improving ways of performing different media activities by the agencies and organisations. The ethical codes of the nation encompass ethical media practices of both print and broadcasting media. In order to determine the efficacy of the codes, the following discussion details of two major ethical codes in the Australian Codes of Media Practices with relevant examples. 4.1 Ethical Codes of Reporting or Broadcasting Methods In relation to the current ethical codes in Australian media industry, ensuring appropriate guidelines in terms of reporting or broadcasting sensitive issues is one of the major aspects that substantially help in improving the ethical practices of the media agencies within the nation. According to the legal codes of the Australian media industry, the method of reporting or broadcasting of any sensitive issue should not be detailed until and unless the public interest outweigh the risk of repeating similar events. In order to prevent communities or the members from different region, the method of reporting and broadcasting conserve adequate privacy about the ways leading to cause any particular type of sensitive issues (Australian Press Council, 2013). The ethical codes in media practices also protect the interest of basic values along with rights of each community member to obtain information regarding any concern. In this regard, the Australian codes of ethics in media practices are likely to emphasise on the interest of the people towards obtaining detail information about any serious concern. However, the legal and ethical codes of the nation also prohibit media agencies or organisations to disclose details about any sensitive issues that might influence people to commit similar act or create negative influence in response to their personal feelings (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2014). For example, the ethical codes of the media of print and/or broadcasting are highly focused on maintaining adequate privacy along with confidentiality in terms of publicly reporting detail information about an individual or any sensitive issue. In this regard, codes of practice collectively represent the actual effort of the media agencies in order to provide appropriate guidelines through a particular evolving media channel. Moreover, the codes also impede media agencies or organisations regarding their reporting or broadcasting any sensitive places where any particular issue had been taken place. The process of concealing such information helps to reduce the possibilities of similar acts and further facilitate to obstruct such type of issues in future. In addition, the practice of prohibiting disclosure of the place or location also minimises future risks that might mislead audience or impose other members to take different types of negative advantages (Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, 2013). 4.2 Maintaining Appropriate Balance and Responsibility in Reporting In relation to the current ethical codes in the media industry of Australia, the process of emphasising appropriate balance along with responsibilities of agencies can also be regarded as one of the major ethical codes. According to the ethical codes of the nation, the Australian media and communication agencies or institutions are restricted to provide undue prominence in terms of unnecessarily explicating any image or headlines of a particular print media event. In this context, the ethical codes of media industry in Australia restrict the rights of the media agencies in terms of appropriately stigmatise any type of sensitive event that can influence other individuals to repeat similar actions. Moreover, agencies and organisations are also prohibited to disclose the involvement of any other individuals or groups associated with the sensitive issues. However, the agencies are required to provide underlying causes that led to take place such future problems (Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, 2013). In addition to keep appropriate balance in reporting, conserving effective level of sensitivity and moderation is also a major aspect in the Australian ethical codes. The media practices of agencies or institutions are required to take effective care in order to avoid unnecessary harm to the affected people associated with a particular sensitive issue. Correspondingly, the ethical codes developed for the media industry in Australia requires each media agency and organisation to take into account the sensitivity and moderation relating to an issue, which can negatively influence others. In relation to the current media industry of Australia, there are large numbers of ethical codes that are recognised to protect the interest of agencies towards delivering appropriate information to the communities without imposing any possibilities of harm. In this context, the ethical codes for commercial and/or advertising considerations in order to undermine accuracy can also be regarded as one of the major codes in the Australian ethical media practices (Australian Press Council, 2013). 5. Conclusion From the past few decades, the emergence of continuous development in ethical codes has substantially improved the media practices of the organisations. The media agencies and organisations in Australia have long been identified to increase their efficiency along with reliability due to the continuous streamlining of the ethical codes. However, the changes within few of the key aspects of ethical codes can bring major insights towards the media industry of Australia towards conserving more fairness and reliability. In this regard, the essay has discussed few major factors that can substantially enable the Australian media and communication industry to streamline the efficacy and consistency of its ethical codes in future for greater effectiveness and transparency. References Australian Press Council, 2014. Statement of General Principles. Privacy Principles. [Online] Available at: http://www.presscouncil.org.au/uploads/52321/ufiles/GENERAL_-_PRIVACY_PRINCIPLES_-_July_2014.pdf [Accessed October 07, 2014]. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2014. Code of Practice 2011 (Revised in 2014). Scope of the Code. [Online] Available at: http://about.abc.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ABCCodeOfPractice2014.pdf [Accessed October 07, 2014]. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2012. Review of the ABC’s Self-Regulation Framework. Editorial Policies. [Online] Available at: http://about.abc.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ReviewOfABCSelfRegulationFrameworkOct2009.pdf [Accessed October 07, 2014]. Australian Press Council, 2013. Specific Standards. Coverage of Suicide – Issued August 2011. [Online] Available at: http://www.presscouncil.org.au/specific-standards/ [Accessed October 07, 2014]. Christians, C. G., 2009. Philosophical Issues in Media Convergence. Communications & Convergence Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 10-14. Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, 2013. Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance - Journalists' Code of Ethics. Code of Ethics. [Online] Available at: http://www.alliance.org.au/code-of-ethics.html [Accessed October 07, 2014]. Whitehouse, G., 2010. Newsgathering and Privacy: Expanding Ethics Codes to Reflect Change in the Digital Media Age. Journal of Mass Media Ethic, Vol. 25, pp. 310-327. Read More