Sunday, February 11, 2007

Here we go again!

I think I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but it's becoming so easy for me to find stories about the ethical issues in the news industry. Most recently, I came across an article from FreelanceUK about the BBC and their ethical dilemma in promoting Microsoft Vista. Of course at this point, there isn't "proof" that the BBC was in fact talking the product up, but it sounds like investigations will be coming.

"John Beyer, director at Mediawatch UK, has called on the corporation’s trust to investigate.'This is something that the trustees really have to be transparent about. It did occur to me that the BBC in its coverage of the launch of Vista seemed to be promoting it.'”

So what! Big deal? It is a big deal! I've said it before and I'll say it again. Journalism and the media have a direct responsibility to the public--to deliver unbiased views and news one needs to know. It seems to be the same old story again and again. The big companies make deals with one another to make more money. It's just wrong.

The BBC argued that the launch of Microsoft Vista was news.
"As a result of the technology’s dominance, he argued it would be ‘bizarre’ not to have covered the launch of the latest OS, and the BBC has highlighted the product’s perceived flaws."

Yeah...right. Anyone smell bologna? (I really thought of a more profane word instead of bologna, but thought the use of such terms would be inappropriate.)

Using my love for utilitarianism, the greatest good for the greatest amount of people would be for the journalists to report on important occurrences in the recent past. After all, is not that the responsibility of journalists? I don't think anybody cares to see the commercials during the news.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home