The Legal, Ethical, and Societal Issues in Media and Information
The Legal, Ethical, and Societal Issues in Media and Information
Defamation
The Cornell University Law School defines defamation, as Defamation is a statement that injures a third party’s reputation. The civil wrong of defamation includes both libel (written statement) and slander (spoken statements).
To win a defamation case, a plaintiff must show four things:
1. A declaration that a false statement is fact;
2. Publication or communication of that statement to a third person;
3. Fault;
4. Damages to the subject (person, institution, etc.) of the statement.
With the existence of the new media, everyone is at liberty contributed and post information online. The problem with this evolutionary form of media is the lack of check and balance that traditional media requires. Often, those who post their opinions are taken as facts that may sometimes result of defamation.
Privacy
Privacy is defined as the freedom from unauthorized intrusion. Also called as one’s right to privacy, it refers to the concept that one’s personal information is protected from public scrutiny. Social media has become the spotlight the world uses to take a peak into everyone’s private lives. Even more concerning is the fact that ourselves beam in on our own personal lives. Our penchant for oversharing details of our lives online poses serious security concerns.
In fact, social media has been linked to various stalking cases all over the world. Such a problem reiterates the need for responsible consumptions o social media information.
Various social media platforms have incorporated privacy functions on their websites. This allows their user to choose which information they want to share and to whom they want to share with. Blocking and reporting abusive users have also been made available as an added security feature. These efforts, along with current provision in the law help in ensuring everyone’s right to privacy. However, it is important to note that self-discretion goes a long way in protecting one’s privacy.
Obscenity and Pornography
Obscenity and pornography although related, are not the same. Pornography is the term used to refer to any material that uses the elements of nudity to cause sexual arousal among the audience. A pornographic material is considered obscene when it crosses a line to a point that may be offensive. The concept of what’s obscene and what’s not in pornographic content may be vague or subjective. This is because what might be obscene in one sector of society can be totally acceptable in another.
Copyright
Copyright in its literal sense means the right to copy. The owner of copyright has the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, licence, and to prepare derivative works based on the copyrighted work. This protection is for “original works of authorship”. It applies to intellectual properties like images (graphic designs, photos, drawings etc.), write works (books, manuscripts, publications etc.), audio content (music and any other sound recordings), and performance arts (play, movies, shows, and etc).
A person or entities violating copyright commits plagiarism. Plagiarism takes place when someone else’s work is used by a different person and claimed as his or her own. This act of stealing can be avoided by acknowledging the source or the original creator through citations.
The exclusive rights of the copyright owner are subject to limitation by doctrine of “fair use”. Fair use of copyrighted work for purpose such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research is not copyright infringement.
Basic Ethical Orientation
Basic ethical orientation refers to the ethical perception of an individual. It is the reasoning behind his or her moral judgments and ethical practices. The following are the types of basic ethical orientation.
Divine Command Theories
· Being good is equivalent to doing whatever the Bible—or the Qur’an or some other sacred text or source of revelation—tells one what to do.
· “What is right” equals “What God tells me to do”.
The Ethics of Conscience
· Conscience dictates what is right or wrong
· Often has a religious source
· Maybe founded on a notion of human nature
· Is often negative in character, telling people what is not right
Ethical Egoism
· Says the only person to look out for is oneself
The Ethics of Duty
· Begins with conviction that ethics is about doing what is right, about doing one’s duty
· Duty may be determined by reason, professional role, and social role.
The Ethics of Respect
· Human interactions should be governed by rules of respect.
· What counts as respect can vary from one culture to another
Utilitarianism
· Seeks to reduce suffering and increase pleasure or happiness
· Demands a high degree of self-sacrifice—considers the consequences for everyone.
· Utilitarianisms claim the purpose of morality is to make the world a better place.
The Ethics of Justice
· What is fair for one should be fair for all.
· Treating people equally may not mean treating them the same.
Virtue Ethics
· Seeks to develop individual character
· Assumes good persons will make good decisions
· Developed by Plato and Aristotle
· The Spiritual Exercises
· Provides a way of integrating all the theories.
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