Media Role in Society: Ethical Issues - Assignment Example

Media Role in Society: Ethical Issues The media plays a significant role in the society by acting as a watchdog and playing the roles of deliberation, agenda setting and being informative. While playing these roles, the media is expected to act ethically by adhering to specific codes of ethics and ethical standards including fairness, transparency, public accountability, objectivity, impartiality, accuracy and truthfulness (Bauder, 2009). These principles ensure that the media provides trustworthy information and disseminates it successfully to the public.

As an informative platform, the media is faced with the ethical issues of limitation of harm and privacy concerns. In this case, the media is faced with the ethical dilemma of relaying information of minors, crime victims and other information that may endanger the safety and privacy of people. Furthermore, the media may also face the ethical issue of deception and dishonesty in its role as an informative media. The media should provide information truthfully and honestly without being influenced or coerced to provide false information (Morant, 2004).

In terms of agenda setting and deliberation, the media may be influenced by ethical issues of discriminatory practices and references. For example, the media may give preference to a certain group of people in terms of agenda setting and deliberation so that some groups of people are discriminated and sidelined in the enjoyment of public utilities (Bauder, 2009). Another ethical issue that faces the media in its deliberation and agenda setting roles is bias and prejudice which may be influenced by political factors.

Political players may influence the media to support biased deliberations and agenda (Kieran, 2002). As a watchdog, the media should avoid the ethical issue of corruption and lack of transparency. In this case, the media is required to be transparent and accountable in its watchdog role so that it exposes things that the public needs to know, including corruption and bribery in the political class. References list Bauder, J. (2009). Media ethics. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Kieran, M. (2002).

Media ethics. London: Routledge. Morant, B.D. (2004). The endemic reality of media ethics and self-restraint. Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy, 19 (2), 595-636.