Module: MCO5103-20 Media Ethics

Level: 5

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Matthew Freeman

Module Tutor Contact Details: m.freeman@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

This module introduces students to a broad range of challenging debates, practices, methodologies and case studies concerning the ethics of the media. Students will become familiarised with issues of moral principles and values as applied to a range of media, including the ethics of journalism, entertainment media and online media such as social media. The module engaged with recent developments around the digital and participatory implications of media ethics, such as cancel culture and participatory culture, as well as case studies such as propaganda and moral panics.

Students will learn rigorous methodologies for conducting ethical media research, and become skilled at critiquing unethical practices and depictions across media as diverse as cinema, journalism, and social media.

2. Outline syllabus

• Module Introduction: Understanding Media Ethics

• Ethics of Social & Digital Media

• Ethics of (Citizen) Journalism

• Ethics of Entertainment & Participatory Culture

• Ethics of Political Activism

• Case Study: Moral Panics

• Case Study: Propaganda

• Case Study: Cancel Culture

• Case Study: Big Data

• Methods: Conducting Ethical Media Research

• Methods: Conducting Investigative Journalism

3. Teaching and learning activities

In the first half of the module, students examine a broad range of challenging debates, principles and practices concerning the ethics of the media. Topics include journalism ethics and standards, issues of impartiality, bias, privacy, and public interest. Students will also explore the ethical implications of online media, such as social media and participatory culture, as well as the ethics of entertainment, including depictions of sex, violence and gender.

Having explored a broad range of concepts and practices for making use of media and screen ethics, in the second half of the module students will move on to analysing a number of case studies, each representing key moral and ethical issues: moral panics, news propaganda, and the rise of cancel culture and big data.

Across the module, students learn rigourous methodologies for conducting ethical media research, and become skilled at identifying unethical practices, policies and depictions across media as diverse as film, journalism, and social media. Students are asked to undertake an Ethics Report (50%) that analyses ethical issues as well as good and bad practices in a chosen case study. Subsequently, students embark on a piece of independent Investigative Journalism & Commentary (50%), where students complete a piece of journalistic writing with an publication and target audience in mind, and based on an ethics-relevant case study of their choice, which is accompanied by a commentary that outlines and reflects on the student’s understanding of media ethics principles and values. The Investigative Journalism assessment allows students to further demonstrate skills in producing professional magazine or news content using InDesign, Photoshop or Illustrator, having learnt these technical skills at Level 4.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Coursework

• Description: Ethics Report (2,500 words)

• % Weighting: 50%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: Coursework

• Description: Investigative Journalism & Critical Commentary (2500 words equivalent)

• % Weighting: 50%