This text charts a thoughtful path through increasingly complex ethical issues faced by today's journalism, advertising, and public relations practitioners.

This book is a comprehensive introduction to media ethics and an exploration of how it must change to adapt to today's media revolution. Using an ethical framework for the new 'mixed media' ethics – taking in the global, interactive media produced by both citizens and professionals – Stephen J. A. Ward discusses the ethical issues which occur in both mainstream and non-mainstream media, from newspapers and broadcast to social media users and bloggers. He re-defines traditional conceptions of journalistic truth-seeking, objectivity and minimizing harm, and examines the responsible use of images in an image-saturated public sphere. He also draws the contours of a future media ethics for the 'new mainstream media' and puts forward cosmopolitan principles for a global media ethics. His book will be invaluable for all students of media and for others who are interested in media ethics.

Media Ethics: Key Principles for Responsible Practice makes ethics accessible and applicable to media practice, and explains key ethical principles and their application in print and broadcast journalism, public relations, advertising, marketing, and digital media. Unlike application-oriented casebooks, this text sets forth the philosophical underpinnings of key principles and explains how each should guide responsible media behavior. Author Patrick Lee Plaisance synthesizes classical and contemporary ethics in an accessible way to help students ask the right questions and develop their critical reasoning skills, as both media consumers and media professionals of the future. The Second Edition includes new examples and case studies, expanded coverage of digital media, and two new chapters that distinguish the three major frameworks of media ethics and explore the discipline across new media platforms, including blogs, new forms of digital journalism, and social networking sites.

Closely organized around the Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics--the news industry's widely accepted "gold standard" of journalism principles--this updated edition features a wide selection of case studies penned by professional journalists--including several new additions--that offer examples of thoughtful, powerful, and principled reporting. Cases where regrettable decisions have taught important lessons are also included, providing a new template for analyzing moral predicaments. This revised edition includes chapters such as "Ethics and the Law," "Conflicts of Interest," "Privacy," and "Source/Reporter Relationships." Describing the basic connection between ethical journalism and excellent journalism, this is a lively, succinct, and accessible discussion of how this type of reporting can be morally upheld in the present day, regardless of medium or platform.

Should news reporters express political opinions on their personal Twitter accounts? Are advertisements that look like news deceptive or simply creative? How much public relations "spin" is appropriate when communicating during an environmental crisis? Media Ethics Today: Issues, Analysis, Solutions charts a thoughtful path through increasingly complex ethical issues faced by today's journalism, advertising, and public relations practitioners. The book lays a foundation for ethical decision making in mass media by focusing on fundamental values and examining their application to each field. It explores current issues involving privacy, deception, plagiarism, and diversity; analyzes dilemmas arising from the use of digital imagery; and discusses social media's implications for public engagement, from citizen journalism to consumer reviews. Rich in real-world examples of success and failure, the book helps aspiring media practitioners learn to identify ethical concerns and employ practical templates for making sound decisions. Designed to provoke debate and guide problem solving, Media Ethics Today will add an important dimension to courses in communication ethics, journalism, and strategic communication.