Digital Media, and Ethical Legal Issues - Research Paper Example

DIGITAL MEDIA, AND ETHICAL LEGAL ISSUES Contents DIGITAL MEDIA, AND ETHICAL LEGAL ISSUES 2 1 Introduction 3 1.2 Revolution in ethics 3 1.3 Layered journalism 4 1.4 Difficult questions for digital media ethics 6 1.5 Ethics of images 9 The coming of the new technology in the production of image has led to the rise in new ethical issues about the matter. The images incorporate both photographs as well as video. The public and qualified journalists have improved and easier methods of capturing videos and photographs. They can also transmit the captured images very easily through cell phones that have a connection to the internet. In addition, there are new improved technologies that allow easier manipulation of the captured images. These characteristics raise new questions concerning the compliance of these images to the already existing principles of photojournalism (Eid and Ward, 2009). 9 The first question is on whether newsroom can trust the images of the public as well as those from unqualified journalists. The issue is about the identification of the real sender of the image and whether the image is truly of the event that occurred. Another more serious issue is whether such a person or journalist used the new technology to manipulate the image. For example, he can remove an object from the image or add an object on the image to meet personal interests rather than presenting the real image in its original form. Real professional practice in journalism discourages fraud in that a qualified journalist should stick to truth and honesty. The principles of photojournalism allow the manipulation of the technical features of the image such as slight alteration of the color and the tone on the image. However, it is very unethical to change the content and the meaning of the image with the aim of misleading the viewers (Eid and Ward, 2009). 9 Surprisingly, the difference between technical alteration of the image and an alteration of the meaning of the image is very difficult to differentiate. An unqualified photojournalist can change the color of the image until it appears totally different from the original image and hence conveying a different meaning than the one intended. Therefore, regarding the principles of responsible image production there are so many ethical issues that need clarification. 10 10 1.6 Conclusion 11 1.7 Reference 12 1.1 Introduction The legal and ethical issues in digital media deal with the discrete challenges, norms and practices surrounding digital media. The news in digital media includes blogging, online journalism, citizen journalism, digital photojournalism as well as the social media. It incorporates matters concerning the manner that professional journalists have to use digital media in researching and publishing stories. It also includes the manner of using text and images posted by the public. This research aims at exploring the revolution in ethics in the current world of digital media, layered journalism, addressing the complex challenges in the ethics in digital media as well as the ethics of images. 1.2 Revolution in ethics According to Eid and Ward (2009) the revolution in the media, which is coming because of the evolution in digital media, is significantly and irreversibly, changing the structure, legal and ethics of journalism. The means of publishing is currently in the control of the public. The internet is encouraging new types of journalism characterized by high level of interaction. The ecology of the media is transforming at a very high speed. Tweeters, citizen journalists, bloggers and the users of the social media are sharing with professional journalist. The revolution of the media brings in new possibilities that threaten the previous practices. Professional journalism is now struggling as the public continue to become digital. The contraction of the newsroom raises numerous questions concerning the behavior of journalism in the future. All these worries leads to the numerous experiments performed in journalism with a good example being the establishment of non-profit centers to perform investigation. The most difficult question to answers is about the degree of suitability of the existing ethics on the current and future media that is urgent and very interactive (Eid and Ward, 2009). 1.3 Layered journalism A newsroom that conducts layered journalism is going to serve as the ethics of combined newsroom. This form of journalism connects and unites all the various forms of journalism. The various types of journalists come up with a multimedia that offers a style of professional news as well as analysis, coupled with public journalism or interactive chatting. The layering will occur both horizontally as well as vertically. With vertical layering, there is going to be many editorial posts, comprising of public journalists as well as bloggers in the newsroom. The public journalist and the bloggers may just have a connection with the newsroom. In this case, according to Eid and Ward (2009) many contributors are capable of working from all corners around the world. Some will have to write freely while others are going to equivalently receive payments as freelancers with some being ordinary commentators. Furthermore, there is going to be various kinds of editors in which some of the editors will be working with the new journalists as others address unwanted images or texts posted by the public through their emails, web sites and the social media like twitter. There is going to be community editors with the responsibility of moving out to the public to assist them in producing their stories. In the horizontal manner, the layering of the coming newsroom will be in terms of the types of journalism that it produces right from printing and broadcasting sections to the online centers of production. In the past years, the newsroom had both horizontal as well as vertical layers. The newsrooms dealing with newspaper varied vertically right from the chief editor to the cub reporter at the lowest level. In the horizontal manner, big mainstream newsroom produced various kinds of journalism. This included both printing as well as broadcasting. However, newsroom in the digital era needs additional as well as different types of layers. The operation of some of the news sites will be in the hands of few experts committed to a single form like blogging. However, a good part of the mainstream will have the complicated layered associations. The idea of layering journalism aims at confronting two types of challenges. First, there is going to be vertical ethical matters about the manner various newsroom layers, right from professional editors to public freelancers in the manner they have to interact and come up with journalism that is responsible. For example, the standards those professional editors will use in their process of evaluating public journalists. In addition, it will provide horizontal questions concerning the ethics applicable for the different sections of the newsroom (Eid and Ward, 2009). 1.4 Difficult questions for digital media ethics The first most difficult question to answer concerning digital media is the definition of a journalist. The democratization of the media through the development of digital technology that allow the public to participate in journalism and perform publications, covers the identity of a journalist and the view of what it takes for one to be a journalist. Previously, the definition of a journalist was clear and most of the journalists were professionals who used to write for most important conventional newspapers as well as broadcasters (Eid and Ward, 2009). In the eyes of the public there was no confusion on what it means for being a journalist. Currently, people with no training in journalism continue to call themselves journalists because of the idea of working for conventional media calls. Others call themselves journalists because they regularly write concerning public matters. There is no clear understanding of the term journalist, how it begins and how it ends. On the other hand, the confusion of what it means for being a journalist reflects to what it means by the word journalism. There is very serious confusion in the public concerning what it means by journalism. Suspiciously, one can dismiss the matter and claim that it is not important. Some people go further into saying that everybody is a journalist. This is because of the similarity in what professional journalists do and what other people do. However, there is a well organized and systematic way of approaching the question. This may entail the use of history to see the types of activities performed by journalists including gathering of information, story editing, publishing opinions and news. Then these characteristics can help establish a definition that will differentiate it from creative writing, telling stories or editing the information of a database belonging to the government. Another approach, the normative approach, maintains that it is ethically wrong to call writers journalist. This approach is for the idea that for one to earn the title journalist, he must have good skills acquired through training in an institution recognized to offer the training. In addition, one cannot be a journalist without obeying certain ethics (Eid and Ward, 2009). The skills that one must possess to earn the title journalist include the capability of investigating, carrying out research, have facility with the technology of the media, a good knowledge of the manner that institutions function and excellent skills of communication. The ethical customs or norms incorporate commitment to truth, accuracy and verification among others. The basis of the approach is the provision of information to the public in a manner that is precise and responsible. The definition comes from the behavior or conduct of the best practice of journalism. Therefore, a writer possessing the skills and the commitment in the ethics of journalism is able to publish good articles that comply with the norms of the profession. Individuals who do not meet these requirements are not genuine journalist and they are not responsible and competent in the job (Eid and Ward, 2009). Anonymity is another issue readily accepted in digital media than in conventional media. Professional journalists use anonymity sparingly and in situation where it is reasonable. The codes caution journalists that people may use anonymity to present false information about other people for personal reasons. In many cases, as put by Eid and Ward (2009) persons using the internet are very resistant to the demands from blogs and web site to identify or register their identities. Anonymity has the reputation of paving the way for the freedom of speech and exposing wrong actions. However, many critics argue that anonymity encourages irresponsible behavior and hurtful comments. The ethical matter is when anonymity is allowed and whether the media can set different guidelines on the issue to address different platforms. Reports or images can spread in the world at very high speed through twitter, Face book, YouTube, blogs, emails and cell phones. This high speed exerts a lot of pressure on the newsroom to publish information without proper verification of the facts. Some organizations also take rumors from the internet. However, in some cases the effect of publishing a particular rumor does not in any way produce significant effects in the world. But a media that has the culture of thriving on speed as well as sharing has the possibility of causing great harmful effects. For example, false reports concerning a security threat in a given city can cause panic, accidents as well as quick military actions. Another related issue concerning the digital media is the manner of handling mistakes and corrections when updating reports published before. Journalists mostly make errors such as wrong spelling of words as well as factual errors. The question is whether new organizations should intervene and make the corrections or they should make the correction later and leave an element of the initial mistake. The ethical challenge here is in articulating guidelines that will help in dealing with the rumors and corrections in the digital media. The guidelines should obey the doctrines of precision, truth and transparency (Eid and Ward, 2009). 1.5 Ethics of images The coming of the new technology in the production of image has led to the rise in new ethical issues about the matter. The images incorporate both photographs as well as video. The public and qualified journalists have improved and easier methods of capturing videos and photographs. They can also transmit the captured images very easily through cell phones that have a connection to the internet. In addition, there are new improved technologies that allow easier manipulation of the captured images. These characteristics raise new questions concerning the compliance of these images to the already existing principles of photojournalism (Eid and Ward, 2009). The first question is on whether newsroom can trust the images of the public as well as those from unqualified journalists. The issue is about the identification of the real sender of the image and whether the image is truly of the event that occurred. Another more serious issue is whether such a person or journalist used the new technology to manipulate the image. For example, he can remove an object from the image or add an object on the image to meet personal interests rather than presenting the real image in its original form. Real professional practice in journalism discourages fraud in that a qualified journalist should stick to truth and honesty. The principles of photojournalism allow the manipulation of the technical features of the image such as slight alteration of the color and the tone on the image. However, it is very unethical to change the content and the meaning of the image with the aim of misleading the viewers (Eid and Ward, 2009). Surprisingly, the difference between technical alteration of the image and an alteration of the meaning of the image is very difficult to differentiate. An unqualified photojournalist can change the color of the image until it appears totally different from the original image and hence conveying a different meaning than the one intended. Therefore, regarding the principles of responsible image production there are so many ethical issues that need clarification. Source: http://www.fourandsix.com/photo-tampering- history/tag/photojournalism-ethics This is a digital complex showing a British soldier in the city of Basra, Iraq. The images show that the soldier is gesturing to a group of civilians advising them to seek out cover. It appeared on the fore page of the Los Angeles Times just a very short time after USA invaded Iraq. This led to firing of Brian Walski, who was a staff photographer after the editors established that he added two own photographs to enhance the composition. 1.6 Conclusion The growth and expansion of digital media characterized by interactive and speedy spread of information provides many ethical questions concerning professional journalism. The freedom and easy of publishing information that can easily spread around the world through the social media has attracted many individuals to join the profession without the skills and training required in journalism. Many call themselves journalists because of the belief that anybody who conveys information to the masses is a journalist, but the real professional journalist will ever stick to the principles of truth, accuracy and honesty among other qualities. Apart from merely taking and reporting news, there are ethical issues that true journalists put into consideration. 1.7 Reference Eid, M., & Ward, S. J. (2009). Ethics, new media, and social networks. Global Media Journal- Canadian Edition, 2(1), 1-4. Read More