Course convenor
Ferenc Hammer
Course content
The goal of the seminar is to discuss key questions in media ethics, such as the difficulties in operating freedom of expression and the clash of fundamental constitutional principles. The course considers media ethics, including normative issues in media making and content use, in the broader framework of the democratic performance of the public sphere. Throughout the seminars students will discuss the ethical implications of contemporary media, with particular attention to digital content.
1. Introduction: Media ethics and the democratic performance of the media
Introducing basic terms. Student work evaluation. Housekeeping items.
2. Free speech functions and media ethics
Krokovay, Zsolt (2007) Médiaetika
http://www.hik.hu/tankonyvtar/site/books/b134/ch01s07.html
http://www.hik.hu/tankonyvtar/site/books/b134/ch01s08.html
http://www.hik.hu/tankonyvtar/site/books/b134/ch01s09.html
http://www.hik.hu/tankonyvtar/site/books/b134/ch01s10.html
3. The democratic performance of the public sphere
Norris, Pippa: Virtuous Circle, Ch. 2. The Performance of the Media.
http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~pnorris/Acrobat/VIRTUOUS/CHAPTER2.PDF
4. Basics in visual ethics
L. Gross, J. S. Katz, & J Ruby (Eds.) Image Ethics. The Moral Rights Of Subjects in Photographs, Film, and Television. New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ch. 1.
5. Reality genres’ ethical issues
Hill, Anette (2005) Reality TV. Audiences and popular factual television. London and New York: Routledge, Chapter 6. Ethics of care
6. How to show suffering?
Höijer, B. (2004) ‘The discourse of global compassion: the audience and media reporting of human suffering.’ Media, Culture & Society Vol. 26(4): 513–531.
7. Gaming ethics
Sicart, Miguel (2009) The Ethics of Computer Games. Cambridge, MA, London, UK: The MIT Press. Chapter 2.
8. Wired bodies, health and illness
Kerr, Laura K. (2010) ‚Disease in the Information Age.‘ In Isabelle Lange and Zoe Norridge (eds.) Illness, Bodies and Contexts. Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Press.
9. Freeware and property rights
Spinello, Richard A – Tavani, Herman T. (2005) Intellectual Property Rights. From Theory to Practical Implementation. In R. Spinello and H. Tavani (eds.) Property Rights In a Networked World. Hershey, etc.: Information Science Publishing.
10. Internet ethics and agency in the digital environment
Slater, Don (2002) ‚Making Things Real. Ethics and Order on the Internet.‘ Theory, Culture & Society, Vol. 19(5-6) pp. 227-245.
11. The ethics of porn on the Net
Albury, Kath (2004) ‚The Ethics of Porn On the Net.‘ In Catharina Lumby & Elspeth Probyn (eds.) Remote Control. New Media New Ethics. Cambridge, etc.: Cambridge University Press.
12. Conclusion