Mixed media: moral distinctions in advertising, public relations, and journalism

Introduction CHAPTER 1: What is Media Ethics? * Ethics and the act of communication * Ethics or morals? * The media and morality * Moral Excuses * Can personal ethics become professional ethics? * Media similarities: The common threads * Media differences: A coat of many colors * Forming ethical standards for the mass media * Can the Media Be Ethical? CHAPTER 2: Moral Claimants, Obligation, and Social Responsibility * Relationships among media and their claimants * Ethical applications * What does it all mean? CHAPTER 3: The Media and Professionalism * Are the media professions? * The professional-client relationship * Codes * Profession versus professionalism: If it walks like a duck... CHAPTER 4: Theoretical Approaches to Ethics * Why can't we all be right? The dilemma of relativism * Why we reason the way we do * Social contract theory * The argument over means and ends * Non-consequential ethical theories * Consequential ethical theories * Virtue ethics * The ethic of care * Free speech theories * Liberty-limiting principles * How to choose applicable theories CHAPTER 5: A Checklist for Ethical Decision Making * A Checklist for Moral Decision Making * An Example * What's it all mean? CHAPTER 6: Meta-issues Across the Media * To tell the truth * Truth and the Act of communication * Can We Tell Truth From Fiction? * Avoiding Harm * The Right Thing To Do CHAPTER 7: Meta-issues in Public Relations and Advertising * What's the difference between PR and advertising? * Public relations, advertising, and the first amendment * Ethics and persuasion * Propaganda versus persuasion * What does it all mean? CHAPTER 8: Ethics and Public Relations * What is public relations? * Ethical approaches specific to public relations * Special issues in public relations ethics * What does it all mean? CHAPTER 9: Ethics and Adverting * What is advertising? * Ethical approaches Specific to Advertising * Special issues in advertising ethics * Further use of the means-ends paradigm * What does it all mean? CHAPTER 10: Ethics in News Journalism * Meta-issues in news journalism * Ethical Approaches Specific to News Journalism * Special issues in journalism ethics * What does it all mean?