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Journalism Ethics: The Global Debate
Dr. Kidder puts it this way: There is no
“separate thing called journalism
ethics,” any more than there is a
separate medical or legal ethics, he
maintained. However, journalists
should report “through the lens of
ethics” on what is happening in
society. Journalists should use the
language of ethics in addition to the
familiar language of politics and
economics. They should ask not only,
“Is this expedient?” or “Is this
economically feasible?” but “Is this
right?”
In his book, Shared Values for a
Troubled World, Kidder reported on
his worldwide study of ethical values
to test the premise that there is
common ground in ethics. His
interviews with ethical leaders in 16
countries revealed a set of core
values that vary little from country to
country, or from culture to culture. The
list includes:
• Love
• Truth
• Freedom
• Fairness
•Solidarity
•Tolerance
•Responsibility
•Life
Ethical decision making is not only the
application of these universal values
to day-to-day questions. It is most
challenging when two or more values
come in conflict, and we must decide
which shall prevail. Among the most
common conflicts, in Kidder’s view,
are:
• Truth versus Loyalty
• Individual versus Community
• Short term versus Long term
• Justice versus Mercy
Dr. Rushworth Kidder of the Institute for Global
Ethics
Such conflicts are typical of the ethical
questions facing journalists in their
professional life. They are what Kidder
calls “Right versus Right Dilemmas.”
Three Approaches to
Ethical Decision Making
Kidder outlines three approaches to
ethics, based on the traditions of
moral philosophy. Each can be used
in solving problems, but each has its
weaknesses and pitfalls.
Utilitarianism
This approach asks us to explore the
consequences of our actions and
decisions. If I do this, the following will
happen; if I do that, something else
will happen. The ethical decision,
using the utilitarian approach, is the
result of a kind of ethical calculus:
which decision will result in the
greatest good? Often, particularly in
politics, good is measured in terms of
the benefit to the greatest number of
people. A good law is one that benefits
the greatest number with the least
expenditure of taxpayers’ money and
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