Course Description
Exploration of complicated issues related to ethics and diversity, which inevitably arise in the news media but defy clear-cut answers. The course considers social responsibility and presents a contemporary framework for transparency and community with a focus on diversity as a guiding journalistic principle.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Evaluation of graduate students differs significantly from
that of undergraduate students. Not only will graduate students
be assigned more readings and additional projects, they will
also be graded with higher expectations than undergraduate
students. Specifically, graduate students will be assigned an
additional research or applied project depending upon the
discretion of the instructor. Research projects may involve
secondary research reviews and synthesis, whereas primary
research studies will involve collection and analysis of data.
Applied projects will consist of an original professional-level
project delivered as a written report and/or oral presentation.
Athena Title
Journalism Ethics and Divers
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in JOUR 5320E or JOUR 7320E
Graduate Prerequisite
Permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
- Students will develop a framework for systematic exploration of ethical issues confronting journalists. - Students will develop an understanding of issues of diversity as they apply them to the gathering and presentation of news. - Students will develop a personal code of professional ethics. - Students will understand concepts of social responsibility. - Students will understand how journalistic norms and financial constraints of the news industry impact ethical decision-making.
Topical Outline
- The First Amendment: Rights and Responsibilities - Principles of Diversity: Inclusion and Community History and Definitions of Ethical Thinking - Situational Ethics in a Fast-paced News Environment - Codes of Ethics: What are they and how are they developed? - Concepts of Journalistic Transparency, Truth, and Deception - Ethical Challenges: Privacy, Government Intrusion, Industry Economics, Graphic Images and Violence, Social Media, Technology
Syllabus