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Ethics (Communication)
An area of philosophy that studies good conduct in life. Ethics involves “the right action” and “the greater good.” Morals encompass the practice of ethics. Personal ethics involves the study of individual morality. Socrates, Aristotle, Epictetus, and G. E. Moore are considered seminal ethical thinkers. In communications and media, as in business, ethics takes the form of normative and applied ethics, as in a “code of ethics,” which specifies right action in performing duties and reporting news. For example, to engender trust in the readership, journalistic standards of news accounts should be balanced and fair, with sources verified and reliable. This is summed up in the slogan “Neither fear nor favor” in reporting. It is unfortunate that in the 21st century, because of the proliferation ...