Categorical Imperative-Application to Journalism - Term Paper Example

Categorical Imperative-Application to Journalism Categorical Imperative-Application to Journalism Categoricalimperative pertains to an unreserved and absolute requirement that must be obeyed and adhered to in all situations and circumstances and is understandable as the end in itself. Immanuel Kant advised people to act according to the maxim by treating the duty as a universal law. The concept of categorical imperative finds an ethical application in many fields of practice, especially in journalism. In journalistic perspective, misinterpretations, lies, and all forms of social unfairness should be avoided. Journalists should always report the truth as if mandatory by the law. Based on the ethical code of the society of journalists, ethical journalism involves telling the truth and being honest in reporting and presentation of news. Journalists also need not be very comfortable with their sources to ensure that they can publish them in both the positive and the negative light. Based on the principles of categorical imperative, it is important that journalists act independently by remembering that their sole loyalty is to their readers, not the politicians, the advertisers, or the government. This paper discusses categorical imperative and its application in journalism. Introduction Categorical imperative is a moral concept that was developed by Immanuel Kant in 1785. The philosophical theory is used as a way of assessing motivations for actions by individuals, groups, and organizations (Martin, 2008). The concept is also based on the value of ethics and moral principles that need to be weighed and considered in every ethical dilemma and whose application can be adopted in different scenarios. In everything that people do, they need to weigh the benefits and shortcomings and consider the best alternative to take. The best strategy should be the one that contributes to the common good of the outside world and not only meant for individual benefit (Ward, 2010). This forms the basis for the categorical imperative. This paper describes the philosophical concept of the categorical imperative and its application in journalism. The paper is an informative piece to journalists by giving them ground for basing their ethical decisions. The Theory In the categorical imperative theory, it is argued that human beings, as part of the creation, occupy a special place and their moral principles and values can be summed up in an ultimate or imperative commandment of reason (Martin, 2008). All the obligations and duties are derived from the imperative commandment. The philosopher described an imperative as a proposition to declare certain actions as necessary. Categorical imperative pertains to an unconditional and absolute requirement that must be obeyed and adhered to in all situations and circumstances and is justifiable as the end in itself (Martin, 2008). The philosopher advised people to act according to the maxim by treating the duty as a universal law. Kant based his argument on the notion that the hypothetical moral systems should not persuade moral principles and actions or be used as the basis for moral judgments. Categorical imperative is based on the principle of truth in moral judgments. Kant described human beings as having the freedom of choice of action. The fact that human beings have a higher mental capacity than the other beings makes them independent and able to account for their own deeds and actions. Human deeds and actions are governed by choices and consequences. In some cases, one has to weigh between personal choices and preferences and the consequence of the action to the entire society (Martin, 2008). This is when the interest of the majority takes priority over and above the minority and personal interests. The concept of categorical imperative finds an ethical application in many fields of practice, especially in journalism. Application of the Concept in Journalism Immanuel Kant’s philosophical concept of categorical imperative is applicable in journalism as the followers of the philosophy ‘act on the maxim,’ which should or will become the universal law. In this perspective, misinterpretations, deception, and all forms of social injustice should be avoided in journalism. Journalists should always report the truth as if mandatory by the law (Sanders, 2003). Based on the ethical code of the society of journalists, ethical journalism involves telling the truth and being honest in reporting and presentation of news. Based on the principles of categorical imperative, it is important that journalists act independently by remembering that their sole loyalty is to their readers, not the politicians, the advertisers, or the government. Journalists also need not be very comfortable with their sources to ensure that they can publish them in both the positive and the negative light (Ward, 2010). Journalists should serve as the watchdogs of those in power. They must ensure that the governmental and political authorities do not abuse their powers at their own will. It is, therefore, of no credible importance to have journalists develop a professional relationship with their sources, especially those that hold crucial positions in the society. Journalism involves finding a delicate balance to control ethical reporting and representation while adhering to the moral principles. For instance, journalists must be close enough to their sources to ensure that they are trusted as a credible source to receive crucial information and disseminate it with the expected accuracy (Patterson, & Wilkins, 2014). At the same time, they must keep a distance with their sources to ensure that they do not influence the type of information to be published and what to be discarded. Based on the ethical principle of transparency, journalists must abide by the categorical imperative concept. If the journalists were reading content from someone else, they would be interested to know the source of information and then evaluate the level of biases in the article. Therefore, it is important that journalists attribute their sources of information as much as possible. This is unless the source is required to remain anonymous for privacy reasons. In the media perspective, telling the truth can be viewed in many different ways. Based on the principle of categorical imperative, ethical journalism should equally apply to all without exception or any form of discrimination. According to Kant, in order to tell a lie, people must be conversant with the truth (Frost, 2014). However, if all the people lied, there would be no truth. This is one of the most prominent moral principles of the modern day that is highly revered by journalists. Another important point as far as the concept of categorical imperative in journalism is concerned is the aspect of equality. This involves treating everyone justly and only reporting the truth regardless of the consequences. In this case, the interest of the majority should take priority in ethical reporting. As a journalist, one is not expected to withdraw a story because those mentioned have offered some benefits to keeping the public misinformed. In the media perspective, fairness pertains to the ability of the journalist to cover specific stories in such a way that every individual is held equally accountable. For instance, two people may be serial murderers but one of them has committed more torturous crimes than the other. This does not imply that a journalist should be biased by applying personal hatred for the most serious murderer. Information should be reported based on how much of it is obtained from the source without the inclusion of personal opinion. Based on Kant’s concept, journalists must always ensure that the decision of an individual upon others is pondered as if it was to become a universal law (Muhlmann, 2010). The decisions made in journalism and reporting must always come from duty and not from the ulterior motive. This implies the need and importance of fairness in journalism by ensuring that proper evaluation of every story is made before it is reported to the audience. The readers or viewers in journalism also have the right to be provided with the source of information being reported. This is important to improve the credibility of the work being reported. As a fundamental law in journalism, journalists must always ensure that they do not take sides in stories being reported. Unless it is a discussion panel to look for solutions to national and societal problems, journalists must always report what is real and authentic. This is an expression of ethical journalism that goes in line with the concept of categorical imperative described by Kant. All the information passed to the audience must be credible and reliable. Summary and Conclusion Categorical imperative is a philosophical concept that was coined by Immanuel Kant and pertains to social ethics and morality. The concept is also based on the value of ethics and moral principles that need to be weighed and considered in every ethical dilemma and whose application can be adopted in different scenarios. In this philosophical concept, human beings are considered as part of the creation that occupies a special place, and their moral principles and values can be summed up in an ultimate or imperative commandment of reason. The paper explained categorical imperative and its application in journalism. As can be noted from the essay, ethical journalism involves the application of moral principles of truth and honesty when it comes to reporting and presenting news. The paper has demonstrated the importance of telling the truth as is reflected in categorical imperative and its application in journalism. References Frost, C. (2014). Journalism ethics and regulation. New York: Routledge. Martin, B. (2008). Ethical marxism: The categorical imperative of liberation. Chicago, Ill: Open Court. Muhlmann, G. (2010). Journalism for democracy. Cambridge, UK: Polity. Patterson, P., & Wilkins, L., (2014). Media Ethics: Issues and Cases (7th Edition), Boston: McGraw-Hill. Sanders, K. (2003). Ethics & journalism. London: Sage. Ward, S. J. A. (2010). Global journalism ethics. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queens University Press. Read More