An application of Philippa Foot's virtue theory in journalism.

摘要

Professional ethical violations are an ongoing problem in journalism, suggesting the need for a reliable ethical model. Decision-making techniques commonly used in the profession, as well as consequentialist and deontological moral theories appear inadequate to handle the kinds of ethical dilemmas that journalists encounter on a regular basis. However, due to its flexibility, adaptability, and focus on the agent, virtue theory stands out as a strong contender for application in a journalistic context. In this work, I apply consequentialist, deontological, and virtue theories to real-life and hypothetical journalism cases. Consequentialism and deontology both run into problems in their application to certain journalism cases. Philippa Foot's virtue theory of Natural Normativity can provide solutions in cases where other moral theories fail, although her theory is not clear on all possible cases. Foot's theory offers moral guidance for journalists and points the way to understanding the journalist's role in human society.