Living Ethics

Book excerpt: In a seamlessly wired world of television, computers, and BlackBerrys, where does ethics fit in? To address that question, Living Ethics calls for a moral convergence to complement the technological one. Identifying principles that apply across media platforms, Michael Bugeja has created a thorough and well-researched work that avoids the prescriptive language used by many texts; instead, he encourages critical thinking through examples that build, challenge, and enhance readers' value systems. While many ethics texts focus almost exclusively on journalistic ethics, this award-winning text (recipient of the 2009 Clifford G. Christians Award for Research in Media Ethics) emphasizes unifying principles that collapse and transcend the boundaries of a wide variety of media sources--including newspapers, magazines, radio, television, public relations, photojournalism, advertising, and other forms of traditional and online mass communication. As readers will discover, the circumstances of ethical issues may vary, but the moral processes used to resolve them are basically the same. Resolutely practical, Living Ethics is written in a clear and cogent style that helps readers: * Understand unifying principles from historical, philosophical, and political perspectives * Grasp the utility of principles that engage audiences and clients while respecting the diverse cultures in an increasingly global media environment * Explore moral convergence through the eyes of more than 100 practitioners at major newsrooms, agencies, and organizations * Examine ethical issues visually through more than 20 photos and illustrations * Develop a set of principles to guide their careers across a multitude of platforms