Ethical Issues for Employees in the Media Industry

In the media industry, moral and ethical issues are constantly arising, such as the way a certain group of people are represented in the media which can sometimes offend them. When making a joke about a certain group of people, you have to be careful to not break the balance between humour and offence as this can make certain groups of people feel targeted if they don’t find it funny.

Another area that needs to be carefully considered, is how religious people are represented and if those representations live up to reality and will not easily offend members of that faith. To ensure this doesn’t happen, content for both film and television will be thoroughly checked by its production team and or network or distribution company.

To help protect children, Ofcom regulates television, radio and broadband in the UK. Protecting children from harmful material on TV and radio is one of Ofcom’s most important duties.

In broadcasting, a watershed exists. This prevents children from watching inappropriate content on television. There are strict rules about what can be shown on TV before the 9 pm watershed. The watershed begins at 9 pm and inappropriate content for children should not, in general, be shown before 9 pm or after 5:30 am. Inappropriate content can include everything from sexual content to violence, graphic or distressing imagery and swearing. For example, the most offensive language must not be broadcast before the watershed on TV or radio when children are particularly likely to be listening.