Media Ethics: Issues and Cases - Blog Post 1

Case Study 2-A: Can I Quote Me on That?

Image Source: Politico

This case study details the relationship between the press and politicians, specifically regarding the acceptance of quote approval as a necessary means of gaining access to politicians and their campaign staff. Essentially, the issue at hand is that politicians have grown increasingly concerned about being misquoted or misrepresented in the media. In order for press to gain access, many major news organizations, such as The New York Times, have agreed to allow politicians to review any quotes a reporter intends on using in an article, to be edited and ultimately approved before the article goes to print.

Micro Issue #3

Are there certain sorts of stories, for example stories about science or finance, where this practice might be more acceptable? Why or why not?

Stories about science or finance require exact numbers, correct information and names, and other important details that are very specific. Articles on science and finance may directly impact the readers’ lifestyles, such as stories regarding food or taxes, and if these articles misrepresent the information presented by scientists and finance specialists, it could lead the public to make decisions based off of that incorrect reporting. For this reason, I believe that the practice of quote approval is more acceptable in these situations than it is for politicians who are less concerned with the accuracy of the articles and more concerned with how the articles present them.

Midrange Issue #2

Should reporters disclose to their readers when they have submitted a story for quote approval?

In the beginning of the chapter, the ideal of journalism is identified as “the communication of truth” (21). If agreeing to quote approval is the only way that press can gain access to politicians, then quote approval becomes a necessary means to an end, with the end being increasing the public’s awareness. If the public’s awareness is based off of quotes that have been altered, then the ethical thing to do would be to disclose that the quotes were submitted for approval. If news is truly a “construction of reality”, then it falls on the reporter to be transparent about that construction (38).

Macro Issue #3

By agreeing to “quote approval” are reporters opening the debate as to whether they are serving the best interests of the public or serving the interests of politicians?

Yes. The case study states that “news about political campaigns is an ongoing negotiation—or power struggle—between journalists, editors, and owners on one side, and candidates, campaign staffers, and party activists on the other” (38). This is important because in giving quote approval, reporters are ultimately succumbing to the will of the politicians, since that is the only way politicians will offer an interview. If the ideal of journalism is to communicate the truth, then journalists and news organizations that agree to quote approval are not meeting that ideal and instead are serving the interests of politicians.

Conclusion

Ultimately, I feel as though quote approval completely contradicts journalism’s ideal of communicating the truth. I also think that it fails to provide the “transparency” that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting built its “new standards and practices policy” on in 2011 (36). I believe it is unethical in that it serves the interests primarily of the politicians and is a disingenuous representation of the “truth.”

Case Study 3-G: In the Eye of the Beholder: Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty

Image Source: Huffington Post / Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty

Dove, a division of Unilever, launched a new brand campaign focused on “real beauty” and “real women” in 2005. The campaign was first launched in the UK, where it was very successful, leading the brand to take the campaign to a global level. The campaign depicts “real women” by using models of varying skin colors, hair textures, heights, weights, etc. The campaign was a direct result of research conducted in a plethora of countries regarding how women view themselves and whether or not they consider themselves to by beautiful, pretty, and/or attractive. The participants of the research study were not informed that it was for Dove and there were no references made to the brand.

Micro Issue #1

What about this ad represents an attempt to “cut through the clutter?”

This ad attempts to “cut through the clutter” by presenting the public with models deemed unconventional in relation to competitor’s ads. Instead of seeing mostly thin, tall, beautiful women with blonde hair, viewers see women that may more accurately represent them and the other women in their life, allowing the viewer to relate to the ad more so than the “clutter” of the other ads.

Midrange Issue #1

The Dove Campaign has been praised as an example of ethical advertising. Evaluate this statement.

I find the content of the ad campaign to be problematic in its presentation of “real women” and in its overall intent. Is their intent advocacy; are they advocating for women to feel beautiful just the way they are? Or, is their intent to sell products by creating an emotional connection between women and the campaign by manipulating their insecurities? At the same time the company is telling women that they have inherent “real beauty,” they are prompting them to buy their products to fix their cellulite or frizzy hair. To me, this ad exhibits the “cognitive dissonance” referenced on page 54, defined as when “a message and action give conflicting and uncomfortable signals.” However, I understand how many people may feel that this is an example of ethical advertising, because it appears that Dove takes the role of culture in our lives seriously and “authentically reflect(s) the diverse voices that comprise our culture” in ways that other companies don’t (55).

Macro Issue #1

Examine the literature on eating disorders. What role do you believe ads play in the development of those disorders? How important is advertising compared to some other influences?

I believe that advertisements play a serious role in creating “ideals” by which we should live by. They present problems and offer solutions through consumer goods. Normally, ads present thin, attractive, tall women—sometimes unhealthily so—as the ideal. This, in conjunction with mainstream movies, television, and magazines, create a culture in which women are subjected to a bombardment of media telling them, directly or indirectly, that their weight is related to or defines their worth. For example, the Dove campaign pits two words or phrases against each other, one presented as positive and one as its opposite, a negative (76). One of the examples is the image of a “larger-than-average” woman with the words “overweight or outstanding?” implying that the two are mutually exclusive. This sort of rhetoric, I feel, manipulates the consumer into both believing that they are beautiful the way they are and also directs them to buy their products.

Conclusion
I recognize the conflicting opinions regarding the ethical nature of the ad campaign and agree that, in my opinion, the campaign is unethical. It is manipulating the insecurities of women for financial profit, while falsely presenting itself as a campaign to promote self confidence through inner, “real”, beauty. However, I do think that the campaign is a welcome change of pace and effectively “cuts through the clutter” of other campaigns that only feature conventional models. I also admit that as a plus-size woman I may have a personal bias in determining the ethical nature of the campaign.