History of Character or Virtue Ethics and It’s Applications in Today’s Journalism

Character, or virtue ethics has been around the longest out of the four ethical systems.  The Greeks believed strongly in the notion of virtues such as courage, modesty, stoicism, honesty, etc.  According to virtue ethics, you are virtuous because of your character and your character influences your decisions.  In other words, if you act on the virtues mentioned above but it is not sincere, then you are not acting virtuous.  Although there is a list of virtues that people are advised to follow, we are not told exactly how to act.  For example, virtue ethics suggests that we should show honesty, but it does not tell us how to go about doing this.  It gives us a framework on how to live our lives, but it is ultimately up to us how to do so.  Although virtue ethics may seem old fashioned, it is extremely important in today’s society, seeing as journalism has only grown with our increases in technology and social media.  There are two ethics that are based on virtue ethics, which are the Golden Rule and the Golden Mean. 
 

The Golden Rule: “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do To You”

The Golden Rule is a basic principle in Judeo-Christian belief, which is also a common believe in Western cultures.  It deals with treating others how you would like to be treated – with respect and dignity.  For example, the book says that if a journalist is interviewing a grieving relative, he/she should treat that person fairly.  That being said, the journalist may not want to ask any questions that are too painful for the parents to answer because that would not be respectful.  In addition, the journalist should express empathy towards the parents.  This is important so that the journalist is not charged on invasion of privacy or tastelessness. 

Journalist Covering a Rape Trial Omits Names

I found an article on foxnews.com which covers the story of an Ohio rape trial.  Two high school football players are currently being charged with raping a 16-year-old-girl after attending a party with alcohol last summer.  The girl was intoxicated and says she has no recollection of the night, so the judge will be basing his decision off of text messages, photographic and video images, and witnesses.  If you look at the article, you will notice that no names were given for the defendants or the victim.  I believe this is a good example of The Golden Rule because the journalist sees that the people involved in this case are young, and that releasing this information could be detrimental to them.  For the boys being accused, nothing has been proven thus far, so releasing their names would be disrespectful.  For the girl victim, she stated in an interview how embarrassed she was about the situation, so giving out her name would just make the situation worse.  I think that the journalist made a wise decision by leaving out the names of these individuals, at least until the trial is over.
 

The Golden Mean 

The Golden Mean was adopted in different forms by both Aristotle and Confucius, who explained the importance of finding a balance between two extremes.  In other words, there is a “middle way” that journalists should follow which means finding a balance and fairness among both sides to an issue or topic.  The book states that this does not necessarily mean giving the same coverage to a certain topic, but that the importance should be evaluated.  The book also says that this principle has to be taken into moderation.  For example, it wouldn’t be ethical to steal half of the money in a cash register just because it is the “middle way”, because stealing is wrong in the first place.  Artistotle says that we need to decide a mean because the mean decides how ethical acts will be judged. 

Journalist Shows No Political Side With Rob Portman’s Reversal On Gay Marriage

It is important that journalists keep a middle ground when reporting controversial political topics.  In a recent CNN article, it is explained that Ohio Senator Rob Portman has changed his views on gay marriage to support the issue.  Portman did tireless campaigning for Mitt Romney, so it is obvious that his new stance on gay marriage is shocking to many.  This article was featured on CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews, etc and I noticed that none of the writers expressed their opinions on gay marriage.  They simply explained that Portman had a change of heart because of his gay son.  I think it's good that the journalists omitted their opinions on gay marriage because it could sway the reader’s opinion.  By finding a balance between the two conservative and liberal extremes, the reader is able to form his/her own opinions on the issue. 

The Importance of Character or Virtue Ethics
 

I selected the character or virtue ethics because I think that many people have forgotten how important it is.  For example, in terms of The Golden Rule, some journalists will do whatever it takes to get the best story.  This may mean asking inappropriate questions or releasing too much information to the public which can hurt individuals.  Likewise, in terms of The Golden Mean, there are so many times when certain political websites clearly choose a side, when really they should keep neutral.  I believe that out of all of the ethics outlined in the book, character or virtue ethics needs the most attention in today's world where anyone can post whatever they want on the internet.