| Description: | Today's communications are so complex and the problems they encounter happen so suddenly that we may not have time to consider all of the ethical implications. Some may be impossible for anyone to anticipate. Deadlines press upon us, technology confounds us, competition drives us. We each need a personal system to help us make quick decisions that are both rational and ethical. Ethical dilemmas are not necessarily stereotypes about "right" and "wrong". Journalists, editors, professionals in advertising and public relations are called upon to weigh up the benefits and harm brought about by their actions in covering stories, in revealing facts that might otherwise be kept private, and in respecting conflicting loyalties. They also find themselves confronted by situations in which they must choose between actions that seem equally right, or equally wrong. Wartime and peacetime propaganda, the Western world's information system, the PR industry, digital convergence and new frontiers for mass communication: everyone encounters ethical dilemmas. The goal of this course is to train you to face what you will inevitably face in your professional careers and in your private lives. |