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Mixed Media

Moral Distinctions in Advertising, Public Relations, and Journalism, 2nd Edition

By Tom Bivins

Published April 20th 2009 by Routledge – 312 pages

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Description

Mixed Media, Second Edition, introduces readers to the tools necessary for making moral and ethical decisions regarding the use of mass media. The chapters in this text offer insights on:

  • Similarities and differences among the ethical dilemmas faced by the mass media

  • Common ground on which to evaluate media behavior

  • Media obligations

  • Professional ethics

  • Ethical theory and its application to the modern media

  • Considerations of truth and harm

New to the second edition is a focus on the three mass media industries most pervasive in today's society: the news media (journalism), advertising, and public relations, with individual chapters giving equal coverage to each. It includes an increased emphasis on "new media" and how ethics affect such concepts as social media, word-of-mouth marketing, and citizen journalism. Readers will come away with a greater appreciation for moral philosophy and theory as a foundation for decision making, and will develop a personal "yardstick" by which to measure their decisions.

Contents

Introduction

CHAPTER 1: What is Media Ethics?

  • Ethics and the act of communication
  • Ethics or morals?
  • The media and morality
  • Moral Excuses
  • Can personal ethics become professional ethics?
  • Media similarities: The common threads
  • Media differences: A coat of many colors
  • Forming ethical standards for the mass media
  • Can the Media Be Ethical?

CHAPTER 2: Moral Claimants, Obligation, and Social Responsibility

  • Relationships among media and their claimants
  • Ethical applications
  • What does it all mean?

CHAPTER 3: The Media and Professionalism

  • Are the media professions?
  • The professional-client relationship
  • Codes
  • Profession versus professionalism: If it walks like a duck…

CHAPTER 4: Theoretical Approaches to Ethics

  • Why can’t we all be right? The dilemma of relativism
  • Why we reason the way we do
  • Social contract theory
  • The argument over means and ends
  • Non-consequential ethical theories
  • Consequential ethical theories
  • Virtue ethics
  • The ethic of care
  • Free speech theories
  • Liberty-limiting principles
  • How to choose applicable theories

CHAPTER 5: A Checklist for Ethical Decision Making

  • A Checklist for Moral Decision Making
  • An Example
  • What’s it all mean?

CHAPTER 6: Meta-issues Across the Media

  • To tell the truth
  • Truth and the Act of communication
  • Can We Tell Truth From Fiction?
  • Avoiding Harm
  • The Right Thing To Do

CHAPTER 7: Meta-issues in Public Relations and Advertising

  • What’s the difference between PR and advertising?
  • Public relations, advertising, and the first amendment
  • Ethics and persuasion
  • Propaganda versus persuasion
  • What does it all mean?

CHAPTER 8: Ethics and Public Relations

  • What is public relations?
  • Ethical approaches specific to public relations
  • Special issues in public relations ethics
  • What does it all mean?

CHAPTER 9: Ethics and Adverting

  • What is advertising?
  • Ethical approaches Specific to Advertising
  • Special issues in advertising ethics
  • Further use of the means-ends paradigm
  • What does it all mean?

CHAPTER 10: Ethics in News Journalism

  • Meta-issues in news journalism
  • Ethical Approaches Specific to News Journalism
  • Special issues in journalism ethics
  • What does it all mean?

Author Bio

Thomas Bivins is the John L. Hulteng Chair in Media Ethics in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon where he is the head of the Graduate Certificate Program in Communication Ethics. He has worked in television and radio broadcasting, advertising, corporate public relations, and as a graphic designer and editorial cartoonist. He is the author of books on media ethics, public relations writing, publication design, advertising, and newsletter publication.

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Name: Mixed Media: Moral Distinctions in Advertising, Public Relations, and Journalism, 2nd Edition (Paperback) – Routledge 
Description: By Tom Bivins. Mixed Media, Second Edition, introduces readers to the tools necessary for making moral and ethical decisions regarding the use of mass media. The chapters in this text offer insights on: Similarities and differences among the ethical dilemmas faced by...
Categories: Journalism & Professional Media, Advertising Studies, Public Relations in Media