Ethical Analysis of Media | Report

Ethical Analysis 1
ETHICAL ANALYSIS
Student by (Name)
Professor’s (Name)
College
Course
Date

Ethical Analysis 2
The ethical question was: Does media violate the right to privacy of celebrities?
a)
The central act is media violating privacy right of celebrities through publicizing private
information of celebrities
b)
Respect: According to Oxford Dictionary, respect as a verb means “having or showing due
regards for the feelings, wishes or rights of others”. It is the virtue of admiring someone’s
abilities yet being thoughtful or considerate of their emotions.
Confidentiality: This is the virtue of being trusted to keep one’s private affairs whether they are
spoken, acted on or written down.
c)
The media has been known to publish private information concerning celebrities masquerading
under the umbrella of freedom of press and right to freedom of expression. There actions are
mostly selfish as they seek to gain publicity and sell more publicized articles and magazines. In
most cases they obtain private information from celebrities through trespass in the name of
investigation and harassment of the celebrities in coercing them to react in certain manner during
interviews.
These reporters’ actions are contrary to the virtue of respect since respect not only entail
admiration of one’s abilities and achievement but also due regards to their feelings and wishes.
They do not respect celebrities enough to recognize that some do not want to share their personal
lives.

Ethical Analysis 3
Media also violate the virtue of confidentiality when they expose celebrities’ secrets to the public
or when they carry hidden cameras to record personal lifestyles of celebrities and their families
who wish to remain confidential.
d)
i)
Media can violate privacy laws of celebrities
ii)
Media can violate privacy laws of celebrities by publicizing their private lives as long as they are
protected under freedom of press and freedom of expression.
iii)
Yes, the general rule is self-contradictory. The general rule gives the media the authority to
violate the rights of celebrities on the basis of being protected under the freedom of press and
expression. It seems to elevate or priorities the freedom of press and expression as compared to
the rights to privacy by the celebrities. The greatest contradiction is noticed in the sense that the
basis for the media personnel acting or failing to act is the law.
In this case it could be seen like advising someone to break the law of others because they will
be protected by their own law. This is contradictory since these laws are all valid legislations and
in this case both parties deserve fair treatment when it comes to application of the law.
Therefore, in correct application perhaps each of the law were to have limits and not one set of
laws overriding the other.
iv)
Violating a celebrities’ privacy rights through publicizing their private lives is a means by media
personnel to achieve publicity, more following and finance. As such the general rule violates