| Course Title | Code | Semester | L+U Hour | Credits | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | GİT403 | 7. Semester | 3 + 0 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Language of Instruction | Turkish |
| Course Level | Undergraduate |
| Course Type | |
| Mode of delivery | Lecture, Reflective Thinking, Q&A, Problem-Based Learning, Discussion, Media Analysis |
| Course Coordinator |
Assist. Prof. Dr. AYŞE USLU |
| Instructor(s) | |
| Assistants | |
| Goals | The aim of this course is to examine debates in the field of media ethics within the context of fundamental theories and principles. By familiarizing students with ethical dilemmas in the media, the course seeks to foster critical thinking about the ethical dimensions of social issues arising from communication. Students will come to understand that the media not only involves decisions about right and wrong but also requires media professionals to make ethical choices regarding dilemmas encountered in everyday practice, which they will be able to analyze through examples. |
| Course Content | This course provides a comprehensive introduction to media ethics, examining fundamental theories and ethical decision-making models in the context of communication practices. Students will explore classical approaches such as Aristotle’s golden mean, Kant’s categorical imperative, utilitarianism, pluralistic value theory, and communitarian perspectives, applying them to media-related ethical dilemmas. Topics include the ethics of art and entertainment, online journalism and digital privacy, photo and video manipulation, issues of loyalty and conflicts of interest, journalistic truth-telling, advertising ethics, and the political economy of media. Through lectures, reflective discussion, case-based learning, and media analysis, students will develop critical reasoning skills and the ability to evaluate ethical issues across diverse media practices. The course emphasizes active student participation, culminating in individual projects and presentations. |
| Learning Outcomes |
- By the end of this course, students will be able to: Understand and possess knowledge of fundamental ethical theories and key concepts specific to the field of communication - Recognize that there are different historical and contemporary approaches to media ethics and analyze the practical implications of these approaches - Comprehend and articulate ethical conflicts, dilemmas, and professional role-based ethical issues specific to journalism, cyberspace, advertising, filmmaking, television production, and public relations |
| Week | Topics | Learning Methods |
|---|---|---|
| 0. Week | Journalism Ethics: Telling the Truth; Ethical News Values: Impartiality and Objective Reporting | |
| 0. Week | Democracy: Reporting on Political Actors; Reporting on Governments; Reporting on Terrorism and Hate Speech | |
| 1. Week | Introduction to Media Ethics: Course overview: content, method, and scope. | |
| 2. Week | Ethical Decision-Making Models and Reasoning Methods I: Aristotle’s Golden Mean Kant’s Categorical Imperative Utilitarianism | |
| 3. Week | Ethical Decision-Making Models and Reasoning Methods II: 4. Pluralistic Value Theory 5. Communitarianism | |
| 4. Week | The Ethical Dimension of Art and Entertainment: Traditional vs. Popular Culture; Representation of Reality; Aesthetics and Ethics | |
| 5. Week | Cyber Ethics: Ownership of Information; Use of Sources; Online Journalism; Online Privacy; Accuracy; Accessibility; Reliability | |
| 6. Week | Ethics of Photo and Video Journalism: Displaying Photographs; Electronic Manipulation; Selective Editing; Fabrication | |
| 7. Week | Privacy Issues: Right to Know – Need to Know – Desire to Know | |
| 8. Week | Mid Term Exam | |
| 9. Week | Conflicts of Loyalty and Ethics in Media | |
| 10. Week | Journalism Ethics: Telling the Truth; Ethical News Values: Impartiality and Objective Reporting | |
| 11. Week | Advertising Ethics: Theories of Persuasion | |
| 12. Week | Political Economy of Media | |
| 13. Week | Democracy: Reporting on Political Actors; Reporting on Governments; Reporting on Terrorism and Hate Speech | |
| 14. Week | End-of-Term Student Project Presentations | |
| 15. Week | Final Exam |
| Philip Patterson, Media Ethics: Issues and Cases, 9th Edition. |
| David Gordon, Controversies in Media Ethics, 2nd Edition |
| Program Requirements | Contribution Level | DK1 | DK2 | DK3 | Measurement Method |
|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course's Level of contribution | None | Very Low | Low | Fair | High | Very High |
| Method of assessment/evaluation | Written exam | Oral Exams | Assignment/Project | Laboratory work | Presentation/Seminar |
| Event | Quantity | Duration (Hour) | Total Workload (Hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midterm 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Homework 1 | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| Final | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Practice | 14 | 1 | 14 |
| Practice End-Of-Term | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Classroom Activities | 14 | 3 | 42 |
| Total Workload | 78 | ||
| ECTS Credit of the Course | 5.0 | ||
