Teaching Media Ethics: Integrating Ethics Across the Mass Communication Curriculum

Teaching Media Ethics provides journalism and mass communication instructors with ideas and tools to effectively incorporate media ethics into courses across the curriculum, covering ethics-intensive courses, incorporating ethics into other classes, and addressing key specializations and critical issues. It emphasizes practical advice and suggestions for activities and resources and is the only book of its kind in the realm of media ethics.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2023
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Teaching Media Ethics provides journalism and mass communication instructors with the necessary ideas and tools to effectively integrate media ethics into their courses across the curriculum. It covers ethics-intensive courses from undergraduate to graduate levels, as well as how to incorporate ethics into other classes related to reporting and strategic communication. The volume includes nine chapters focused on key specializations, such as sports and social media, and critical issues, such as reporting on mental health. It offers thought-provoking chapters on diversifying the ethics curriculum, inclusive teaching practices, and challenges to traditional notions of media ethics.

One of the unique features of Teaching Media Ethics is that it is the only book of its kind in the realm of media ethics. Its primary goal is not to teach students directly, but rather to "teach teachers" how to address ethics in their own classrooms and engage students effectively. The authors, leading ethicists and award-winning teachers, approached their chapters with an emphasis on making it as easy as possible to deliver teaching in ethics.

Teaching Media Ethics is suitable for instructors at all stages of their careers and is particularly useful for graduate students and faculty who are developing their approaches to journalism and mass communication classes. The chapters are organized in a clear and concise manner, making it easy to follow and understand. The authors provide practical advice and suggestions for activities and resources that can help instructors incorporate ethics into their teaching.

One of the key themes of Teaching Media Ethics is the importance of diversity in the ethics curriculum. The authors argue that the ethics curriculum should be inclusive of all perspectives and that students should be exposed to a wide range of ethical issues. This includes issues related to race, gender, sexuality, and social class, as well as issues related to journalism and mass communication.

In addition to diversity, the authors also emphasize the importance of inclusive teaching practices. Inclusive teaching practices involve creating a classroom environment that is welcoming and supportive of all students, regardless of their background or identity. This includes providing opportunities for students to participate in class discussions, and providing feedback that is constructive and supportive.

Another challenge to traditional notions of media ethics is the rise of social media. Social media has created new opportunities for journalists and mass communication professionals, but it has also created new challenges. The authors discuss the ethical implications of social media, including the potential for misinformation, harassment, and privacy violations.

Teaching Media Ethics provides a comprehensive overview of these ethical issues and offers practical advice and suggestions for how instructors can address them in their classrooms. The authors also provide examples of successful teaching practices that have been used in other classrooms.

In conclusion, Teaching Media Ethics is a valuable resource for journalism and mass communication instructors. It provides the necessary ideas and tools to effectively integrate media ethics into their courses across the curriculum, and it emphasizes the importance of diversity, inclusive teaching practices, and challenges to traditional notions of media ethics. The authors provide practical advice and suggestions for activities and resources that can help instructors incorporate ethics into their teaching, and the volume is suitable for instructors at all stages of their careers.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538183076