Select An Ethical Issue Reported In The News Media In The Pa

Question

Select an Ethical Issue Reported in the News Media in Past 12 Months

You are required to select an ethical issue which has been reported in the news media in the past 12 months. Collect one recent (2014 or 2015) news article that discusses the issue, and perform further research to collect relevant background information and facts, to enable you to answer each question listed below. This ethical issue must be different from the issue which you analysed in Assignment 1. (My assignment 1 is about media and advertising — dishonesty, sexualisation, public interest, press freedom, etc. — so, you cannot choose that one!) Length: 2,000 words max. Here are some guidelines about how to formulate a focused ethical question:

Keep your ethical question short, focused, and clear.
Use a should or ought word in your ethical question — e.g., should I eat that last donut?
Make sure your ethical question is not a legal question or a question of fact.
Separate your ethical analysis from the ethical question. e.g., we might ethically analyse drone warfare and discover drone warfare is cheaper than an invade-and-occupy military strategy. However, we would not frame the ethical question as: Should the US use drones because it’s cheaper? We include the cost factor in the analysis but leave it out of the question.
Don’t define ethical questions with obvious yes/no answers. For example: Should I study hard or become a mass murderer? Should children be good to their mums?
The ethical question must require some level of analysis to demonstrate your skills to the markers.
Define your question to focus on one ethical issue, rather than a combination of many issues.
Don’t begin your analysis with a predetermined position; avoid forming your ethical conclusion before analysis. Do not include this predetermined position in your question.

You must provide a full Harvard style reference of all sources used to inform your research. Address each of parts ‘a’ to ‘e’ of this assessment under clearly headed sections:

a. Clearly define the ethical issue and explain its significance. (3 marks)
b. Identify relevant facts and key assumptions for your analysis. (6 marks)
c. Analyse the ethical issue using act utilitarianism, considering all relevant consequences, positive versus negative. Assess whether net utility increases or decreases.
d. Apply Kant’s categorical imperative by defining the rule that justifies the central act of the ethical issue. Discuss whether such a rule can be universally adopted.
e. Conclude by comparing the utilitarian and Kantian results and stating whether your ethical judgment aligns with your conscience on this issue. (5 marks)

Analysis from reputable sources such as the Institute for Global Ethics and the St James Ethics Centre is highly recommended.

Dr. Jack HW Helper · Accepted Answer

Select an Ethical Issue Reported in the News Media in Past 12 Months

You are required to select an ethical issue which has been reported in the news media in the past 12 months. Collect one recent (2014 or 2015) news article that discusses the issue, and perform further research to collect relevant background information and facts, to enable you to answer each question listed below. This ethical issue must be different from the issue which you analysed in Assignment 1. (My assignment 1 is about media and advertising — dishonesty, sexualisation, public interest, press freedom, etc. — so, you cannot choose that one!) Length: 2,000 words max. Here are some guidelines about how to formulate a focused ethical question:

Keep your ethical question short, focused, and clear.
Use a should or ought word in your ethical question — e.g., should I eat that last donut?
Make sure your ethical question is not a legal question or a question of fact.
Separate your ethical analysis from the ethical question. e.g., we might ethically analyse drone warfare and discover drone warfare is cheaper than an invade-and-occupy military strategy. However, we would not frame the ethical question as: Should the US use drones because it’s cheaper? We include the cost factor in the analysis but leave it out of the question.
Don’t define ethical questions with obvious yes/no answers. For example: Should I study hard or become a mass murderer? Should children be good to their mums?
The ethical question must require some level of analysis to demonstrate your skills to the markers.
Define your question to focus on one ethical issue, rather than a combination of many issues.
Don’t begin your analysis with a predetermined position; avoid forming your ethical conclusion before analysis. Do not include this predetermined position in your question.

You must provide a full Harvard style reference of all sources used to inform your research. Address each of parts ‘a’ to ‘e’ of this assessment under clearly headed sections:

a. Clearly define the ethical issue and explain its significance. (3 marks)
b. Identify relevant facts and key assumptions for your analysis. (6 marks)
c. Analyse the ethical issue using act utilitarianism, considering all relevant consequences, positive versus negative. Assess whether net utility increases or decreases.
d. Apply Kant’s categorical imperative by defining the rule that justifies the central act of the ethical issue. Discuss whether such a rule can be universally adopted.
e. Conclude by comparing the utilitarian and Kantian results and stating whether your ethical judgment aligns with your conscience on this issue. (5 marks)

Analysis from reputable sources such as the Institute for Global Ethics and the St James Ethics Centre is highly recommended.

Select an Ethical Issue Reported in the News Media in Past 12 Months

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