Double-Edged Words

Today in one of my media classes my professor was talking about something that I thought fit right into the Bias chapter of Bugeja’s living ethics. My professor said that he has many friends who are homosexual. He said that his homosexual friends often make fun of him and other straight people by calling them “breeders”. Meaning that they are attracted to the opposite sex and therefore able to sucessfully breed. I thought this was funny and I could see why it made my professor laugh, since us “breeders” generally have words that use to refer to homosexuals. I thought it only fitting that they should have terms for us. After explaining this, my professor went on to say that one day in class he was joking with a friend, who happend to be homoseuxal and brought up the term. His friend was amused that he knew the term and they both laughed about it. However, an African American woman sitting next to him overheard the word and said that she found it offensive because this was a term used during the Civil War for a slave woman. Another woman inquired about the term and said that she found it offensive because it seemed to target women and that it was unfair since not all women decide to have children or want children. The woman stated that she thought this was unfairly labeling women as just being there for the purpose of reproduction. In this once instance something that was meant as a harmless joke between two friends had turned into a hurtful and negative things for others. I thought this was very interesting because chapter seven talks about this very sort of thing. Sometimes we have no idea that words that seem fairly harmless, may have negative connotations for others. It had not crossed my professor’s mind that his comment would hurt or offend anyone else.  However, we are all human and when something like this happens, Bugeja advises that we not be afraid to apologize. It is a good idea to try to avoid such scenarios, but when that is not possible, it is best to be willing to learn from the mistake and make sure the people injured know that it was a mistake.

Bias Project

The part of chapter seven that sticks out the most in my mind is how sometimes something that may not appear offensive to some people, can be extremely offensive to others. Our failure to learn that there are differences and to make no attempt to understand them can ruin our reputation and even our credibility. Although there is no possible way for us to identify every single thing that is offensive to everyone under the sun I think that we should make an attempt to understand why things are so and to dig up anything that is hidden. Not only is it important to fact check a story for errors in grammar and style, but it is just as important to make sure you know what you are talking about when you write the story. In order to do this you have to check with sources and explore anything that might be misunderstood. For the class presentation of chapter seven, I would like to do an in-depth exploration of why things are offensive to some and not others and how a media professional or a person in their daily life can avoid stepping on toes through bias. Sometimes when people use stereotypes, they have heard the thing said so many times that they might not even realize they are indeed stereotyping and causing potential harm to a person or a group of people. For the project I am going to try to find some words or stereotypes and test people on whether or not they are offensive and why they are offensive, just to see how people differ in their thinking. It will be interesting to see where a person’s background can take them in their thoughts on other social and cultural groups. It is interesting how people may use stereotyping on a regular basis and fail to see how it is hurtful to the people that they are stereotyping, yet when they themselves are sterotyped they are very quick to point the finger and blame someone for the injustice that has been done to them.

Chapter 7- Bias

Chapter seven takes an in depth look at Bias concerning racial and other stereotypes that are portrayed in the media.  When I think of biases I think of intentional biases that people have against other people or things that they exhibit through speech, mannerisms toward others, and their ideas about other people that are different than themselves.  I rarely think about most biases being unintentional and sometimes even unrealized by the person who has made the biased remark or mannerism.  From personal experience, I know I would never want to do anything to offend or hurt someone. All of my actions and mannerisms are guarded against what I think others will deem offensive or inappropriate. My environment has trained me to be sensitive and guarded around other people who are different than myself. However, I recall a time in the supermarket when a large woman was ahead of my mom and I. I remember not understanding why the woman was so big. In my short lifetime I had never seen anyone that large. I was a shy child so I never said anything out loud, but on the ride home I remember questioning my mom as to why the woman was so big. I don’t really remember what my mom said, but knowing her I think she probably said something about every person looking different and how God created everyone uniquely and that it is not up to us to judge other people. I figure she probably told me that we should love all people the same, cause that is usually how she talks to this day. When I fast forward, in my memory, to a time when I was at a video rental store with my mom and my little brother, I recall a similar experience with my brother asking mom about another person’s appearances. My brother is the complete opposite of me. He is a very outspoken person who is not afraid of anything.  While my mom was perusing the rentals my brother walked up to her and pointed to a larger man in a wheel chair and and asked why the man was so large. My mom turned bright red, grabbed my brother and we left the store.  On the ride home mom explained to him why it was not polite to point out things about other people and that his remark was hurtful.  Reading this chapter on unintentional bias made me think of a young child and how they are not aware of socially acceptable behavior. Just as a small child learns what they should and should not say about other people, I think a journalist or media professional should learn about what is deemed unacceptable or hurtful in the eyes of people that might be reading, viewing, or listening to their stories. Bugeja points out that many people are not even aware when they stereotype others, or they are not aware that they are hurting others when they put them into groups and slap a label on the group. I know I grew up in a very limited environment as far as the cultural and social backgrounds I encountered during my childhood. I still think that there are alot of things that I have yet to encounter or learn about other people. When you meet someone that is from a different background I think it is important to be accepting and open to new ideas.  However, being too guarded and scared to make mistakes can also be a downfall. It is safe to say that if you are unsure about the effect that a statement will have, then you should check around before setting it in stone.  As I questioned my mother about the lady in the store I think it is important to ask people if you do not understand what something is. It is okay to not know something and figure it out, but it is not acceptable to broadcast your ignorance.

Journalism Ethics

From an ethical standpoint I believe that the New York Times reporter who wrote the article about gay a lesbian teens went against many rules of journalism and broke laws to get the story. On one hand I think they put the teens as well as their self in harm’s way. The teens legally were not supposed to be interviewed without parental consent. And the article states that parental consent was not received. Also, the issue of homosexuality is a very heated one, which many adults are persecuted for. To put a youth in a position where you are spot lighting something so controverisal seems very irresponsible and unethical. It seems like the reporter broke many ethical boundaries as well as rules in order to obtain the story. In a way it was sneaky reporting. However, on the other hand I think the reporter broke a barrier by reporting on something that is still taboo in even today’s so called “free” society. Adults and youth are made to feel ashamed for certain behavior and I think the reporter is trying to convey that it is a battle for teens as well. I think the reporter is also highlighting the easy access to a sometimes dangerous world that the internet provides for children. The article is not only a focus on a specific group of youth, but the dangers they submit themselves to because they feel they cannot be open any place else. When applying the Potter Box and considering the values, loyalties, principles, and facts. I would consider certain parts of this case to be ethical and others not so ethical . As a journalist I believe that loyalties are to present truths and if this is happening then it is a truth and to getting the story. Even though the loyalties are to the reader the fact is that the reporter used illegal means to obtain a story and possibly put them as well as the teens in danger. As far as principles and values go I suppose it would depend on a person’s specific outlook to get a more concise picture. Obviously the reporter’s values and principles lay in getting a story and they were not so concerned with the interviewing of the youth. If I were asked to write such a story I think i would view it as being unethical not to at least talk to the parents first and then see if there is a story. Parents have a right to protect their teens from the heat that publicity can bring. 

Some People Say…

While we were watching the movie Out Foxed today, I could not help but be shocked by some of the scandal and dirty dealings that take place and have taken place on the network. Fox is not one of my favorite news sources therefore I rarely watch their program or get my information from them. But, from what I saw of Fox news today, I believe that Fox News teaches people everything that reporters are not supposed to be. Reporters should not be biased, should accurately and fairly quote sources and interviews,  and should realize that others may have differing opinions and must respect that and not let it cloud their reporting. These are just a few or the many things a reporter should be. A reporter has an ethical obligation to report the news in a fair and balanced way. Even though Fox News may claim to be “fair and balanced” they appear to be so far from it. I think Fox News is not really a news channel but just a spokes channel for the Republican Party. One of the most interesting things that I viewed in the film today was the part entitled “Some People Say.” I think that this segment is this biggest joke ever and no one at Fox News should call themselves a reporter or claim that Fox News is actually news. In fact, I think this proves that they are not a legitimate news source. If they have to have a segment that is as vague as this then maybe they should just go ahead and take the news out of their title. Such a segment is more characteristic of a tabloid program than a news organization. From day one of my journalism education I learned not only to quote someone fairly, but to cite every source and back up every piece of information. It is not only fair to the reader but it also saves the reporter from looking like an idiot. “Some People Say” puts journalism and reporting to shame. I cannot believe that such a large news organization would allow something like this to happen and I cannot believe that people actually trust them as a news source. Any news organization that takes sides and reports in this fashion is a discredit to journalism. 

Talk Show Ethics

After searching the Rush Limbaugh site for a few minutes it was clear to me that most of the issues Limbaugh talks about deal with ethical issues in one way or another. And all of the issues matter to someone and therefore a person could view them as ethical. In one transcript, that stuck out to me as a huge ethical issue, Limbaugh talked about how a Clinton ad attacking Obama has caused controversy because some claim that Obama’s skin color was deliberatly altered to make him appear darker. Clinton’s people claim that the ad is not theirs and they do not know how it ended up on their site. They also claim that the picture might have been altered when resolution was changed from a video ad. When considering the possibility that someone altered obama’s skin tone to make him appear darker, this idea raises very big ethical issues. Is it ethical that darker skin color is being used as a negative trait? Is it ethical to alter someone’s appearance to put them in a negative light? I personally think that all of the mudslinging that the democrats are doing is shameful and it makes me embarassed for them. If it is the case that Obama’s photo was altered and these intentions were the motive behind it then I believe this is completely unethical. To try to gain to upper hand in such a way is deceitful and if proven to be true would make me think a lot less of the Clinton campaign. I think it would be a horrible idea to elect a democratic campaign nominee that has a racist support group and does such low things to try to gain an advantage. On my ethical spectrum there is no question that such an act would be wrong. Naturally there is a good deal of mudslinging that takes place during elections. However, I think that when the insults start to insinuate that a certain skin color is negative or makes a person bad, then the line needs to be drawn. This is getting a bit rediculous and not just insulting Obama, but insulting any person with darker skin. I doubt that Limbaugh viewed the issue in the same way I do, because the transcript is clearly just taking a stab at the Clintion Campaign, but it is a very interesting topic that should raise concern.