Media Responsibilities Essay Example

in the Los Angeles Times suggests that excessive exposure to media violence may increase the likelihood of violent behavior among children, emphasizing the need for media reporting to prevent its recurrence. Recently, court cases have been televised extensively by news organizations; however, as traditional journalists are replaced by bloggers and internet sources gain prominence over print publications, new responsibilities arise. Traditional media faces ethical challenges in terms of fairness, accuracy, and timeliness when covering unique cases. However, increased competition among news outlets has made it more difficult to uphold these journalistic standards. Some entities disregard ethics due to economic pressures.
Coverage of the Zimmerman trial revealed how emotions frequently overshadowed facts and evidence, with news shows prioritizing their own perspectives instead of focusing on relevant laws that determined the verdict. This trend is now commonly observed on cable news channels, raising concerns about the media's role in society. It is important to recognize that media encompasses various events beyond daily news. For example, stories involving celebrities often invade their privacy and violate their individual freedom. While some people thrive on this information, others are indifferent to celebrities' personal lives.

Viewers also show interest and concern in topics such as teen pregnancy, drug abuse, and Eileen-causing nuisances as they can provide preventive measures for the future. The public's lack of trust in the news media stems from several reasons. They are often portrayed as prioritizing personal gains like ratings and profits over reporting news accurately and fairly. Additionally, the media is frequently criticized for perceived excessive power and a focus on personal fame rather than finding solutions.

They are also accused of insensitivity towards public sentiment and a lack

of evidence to support their stories (Middleton, 2011). When discussing ethical responsibilities in media, our attention typically focuses on newspapers, television, radio, and magazines as sources of information and messages.The media has various roles, including reflecting society, bridging communication gaps, and interpreting public policies and social-cultural events. To address ethical issues, the classical theory of utilitarianism can be used to restore integrity. Utilitarianism emphasizes maximizing overall happiness for the greatest number of people and holds influence in democratic societies in North America. This principle applies to both morality and legislation as laws aim to maximize community happiness. The media operates within these laws without requiring a belief in god or natural laws.

Journalists who are held accountable for their reporting consider utilitarian theory as the best approach to moral and ethical behavior by ensuring they have factual evidence to achieve the greatest good for the majority. It is important to note that this theory does not suggest that the media always presents right or wrong perspectives on a topic.

Emotive theory offers an alternative perspective for moral judgments by focusing on people's emotional responses towards individuals, events, or principles. Emotive theory highlights the emotive reactions that individuals have towards something and argues that these emotional responses cannot be analyzed or debated in the same way as other aspects (Moser, 2010). According to emotive theory, there is no inherent categorization of good or bad; instead, there are only expressions of favorable or unfavorable emotions or attitudes towards something.When discussing ethical challenges in media, I have examined how utilitarianism and emotive theory approach these issues. After considering both perspectives, I believe that emotive theory provides a better approach for

resolving the problems. In news reporting, there is no absolute standard for good or bad; instead, the focus should be on providing factual evidence about a story. To illustrate this point further, consider the recent trial of George Zimmerman in Florida. The media became excessively engrossed with their emotions because there was only one side of the story available during a crucial seven-minute gap where no witnesses were present to provide all the facts and an accurate account of what occurred. After the verdict, racial tension has been exacerbated by the media through filling the seven-minute gap with endless hours of TV shows. Unlike the Simpson trial, this trial included demonstrations but did not lead to widespread violence as predicted by the media. This passage highlights how injecting emotions into reporting can demonstrate bias towards one side or another and deviates from objective reporting using emotional language to influence listeners' actions.The First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press, recognizing its importance in providing unbiased information for a functioning democracy. However, when information is censored or manipulated for profit or political purposes, it undermines this crucial role. The media plays a significant part in American democracy as people rely on it for news rather than rumors. How events are presented by the media shapes public perception and determines what is considered important. Both the public and government officials have an obligation to pay attention to media coverage as collaboration between them is essential for our democratic system. Acting as a bridge between politics and citizens, the media reports news, sets agendas for public knowledge and discussion, and encourages active engagement in society and politics. Additionally, websites

possess the power to influence perspectives on politics, race, and economics. It is therefore necessary for websites to report facts accurately without misleading the public.