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Lecturer(s)
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Motal Jan, doc. MgA. Ph.D.
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Course content
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* Methodology of case studies in media ethics. * Potter's Box model of analysis: facts, values, principles, and loyalties. * Application of ethical theories to media cases: deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, ethics of care, dialogical ethics, and ethics of responsibility. * Defining an ethical dilemma, formulating an analytical question, and working with relevant materials. * Values in media communication: truthfulness, accuracy, public interest, autonomy, dignity, justice, care, responsibility, and transparency. * Ethical principles and professional standards: objectivity, impartiality, independence, source protection, protection of vulnerable persons, and minimization of harm. * Sources, research, citation, verification, and work with academic texts. * Use of AI in media analysis: possibilities, limitations, transparent disclosure of use, verification of outputs, and protection of sensitive data. * Commons and open-source approaches to analysis: open licences, free software, sharing of methods, analytical journals, and reproducibility of procedures. * Free and open tools for research, annotation, analysis, visualization, creation, and presentation of case studies. * Case studies: analysis of specific media materials. * Student presentations and follow-up seminar discussions.
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook), Group work
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Learning outcomes
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The course builds on **Mass Communication II** and develops students' ability to independently analyse specific media ethics cases. The seminar focuses on case study methodology, the use of Potter's Box as a model of ethical analysis, the application of ethical theories, and the critical interpretation of media materials from the fields of journalism, documentary production, digital media, social networks, popular culture, and public communication. Students are guided to identify ethical dilemmas, collect and transparently document relevant materials, distinguish between facts, values, principles, and loyalties of individual actors, and formulate a well-argued ethical position. Emphasis is placed on independent analytical work, academic discussion, and the ability to present the results of their analysis to a group. The seminar also highlights the importance of transparency, commons, and open-source principles. Students learn to structure their analytical processes in a way that makes them comprehensible, verifiable, and reproducible. The course introduces possibilities for using free software, open data, open licences, citation management tools, and ethical approaches to working with digital sources and artificial intelligence tools.
Students will be able to independently develop a media ethics case study, formulate an ethical dilemma, work with relevant media materials and academic sources, and apply Potter's Box model of analysis and selected ethical theories to a specific case. They will be able to distinguish between facts, values, principles, and loyalties of the actors involved, identify potential harms and conflicts of responsibility, and formulate a well-argued ethical position. Students will also acquire the principles of transparent analytical work: source citation, documentation of the analytical process, disclosure of the use of AI tools, protection of sensitive data, and the use of commons, open licences, and free software where appropriate given the nature of the analysis.
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Prerequisites
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Mass Communication II
KMS/KEMK1 and KMS/KEMK2
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Final project
The course is conducted as a hybrid seminar with active student participation. The course is completed with a credit assessment. The requirement for receiving the credit is a presentation of the student's own media ethics case study during the examination period. Students choose the topic of their presentation independently in consultation with the instructor and register through the reservation system. Consultations are available by prior arrangement via e-mail.
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Recommended literature
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Aufderheide, Patricia, Peter Jaszi a Mridu Chandra. Honest Truths: Documentary Filmmakers on Ethical Challenges in Their Work. Washington. 2009.
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Benkler, Yochai. (2006). The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom. New Haven.
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Christians, Clifford G., Mark Fackler, Kathy Brittain Richardson, Peggy J. Kreshel a Robert H. Woods Jr. Media Ethics: Cases and Moral Reasoning. 10th ed. 405 s. New York. 2016.
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Lessig, Lawrence. Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity. New York. 2004.
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Mejias, U. A., & Couldry, N. (2024). Data grab: The new colonialism of Big Tech and how to fight back.
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Panteli, N. The ethics of using generative AI for qualitative data analysis. , 2024.
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Plaisance, Patrick Lee. Media Ethics: Key Principles for Responsible Practice. 255 s. 2009.
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Potter Jr., Ralph B. (1972). The Logic of Moral Argument. In: Deats, Paul, ed. Toward a Discipline of Social Ethics, s. 93?114. Boston.
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Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. 6th ed. 2018.
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