ETHICS
FINAL
Name:
____________________________
[All
questions worth 10
points each unless otherwise indicated; answers in red]
1. This
part of the exam
features a new type of True-False question. Below you will find
two-part statements
with one part more significant than the other. Analyzing such questions
and
ascertaining which parts are true, false or more significant than
others is an
important component of ethical decision-making. Read each statement
carefully,
identify the significance of the components, and circle the appropriate
abbreviation. If a statement is entirely true, circle (T);
mostly true (MT);
mostly false (MF); and entirely
false (F).
Examples:
The North won the Civil War, 1861-65
[both the winning side and the date are accurate; thus, (T)];
the North won the Civil
War, 1860-1865 [knowing the winning side is more important than
knowing the
date; thus, (MT)]; the South won the Civil
War, 1861-1865
[the date is correct but the winning side is wrong; thus, (MF)];
the South won the Civil
War, 1860-1865 [both the winning side and date are wrong; thus, (F)].
I.
Reporters should never question the motive of a suspected hoaxster;
they should
simply let readers decide motives for themselves, focusing instead on
hyping the
news: T
MT MF F.
II.
Journalists who want to prevent hoaxes should (a) consider career
advancement
because of the correlation between ratings and sensationalism, (b) acknowledge
their own fears, desires, or beliefs, and (c) copyright their stories
to
protect corporate interests:
III.
Susan Smith's fabricated story about a carjacker abducting her children
ranks
as one of the greatest hoaxes, along with Orson Welles’ “alien”
broadcast on
the eve of All Saints Day, 1838: T MT
MF F.
IV.
During the so-called "Pepsi scare," several people told the media that
they
found syringes in soda cans; by challenging those news reports,
corporate
practitioners were able to prove that every reported claim was a hoax:
V.
According
to our text the "Pepsi scare" incident, which happened in 1953, shows
how
values can help corporations manage crises:
2. Note: Circle the correct
answer. Which
of the definitions below best defines
the ethical concept of “discretion”:
(a)
How
one perceives situations and considers options and timing,
according to the tenets of right and wrong.
(b)
How
one perceives motives and considers outcomes and special interests,
according to the tenets of good and bad.
(c)
How one
makes judgment calls that complement other people’s values.
3. Put a
check mark next to
the seven maxims have been guiding
principles in ethics class:
[Each
correct statement is worth 10 points]
___You can
be racist because
of the First Amendment, especially as a journalist.
___Ethics
emanate from
experts.
___Few
people have power,
even those who believe they do.
_X_Ethics
emanate from
within.
_X_Fairness is a continual
process--you strive to attain it and then determine if you have.
___Fairness
is a relative
process--you let others attain it and then determine if they have.
___Ethical
journalists are
never tempted.
___Tempted
journalists are
never ethical.
_X_Temptation is relative;
what tempts one person might not another.
___Value
systems liberate
you because you'll earn more money.
_X_Value systems liberate
you because you'll have more choices.
___Truth,
like objectivity,
is not attainable and so futile to pursue.
___Let
your truths be
ordinary.
___Respect
authority over
rightness.
_X_Kindness enhances morale
at the work place.
___If it
feels good, do it.
___If it
feels bad, do it.
_X_Every person has power,
even those who believe they have none.
___Judge
others before they
judge you.
___Do unto
others before
they do unto you.
_X_When it comes to stereotypes,
don't make assumptions.
___Respect
your elders above
all else.
4. Note: Put the correct
matching letter in the space provided below, alongside the definition.
Match the correct term—(a)
plagiarism, (b) invention, (c) matching story, (d) proxy plagiarism,
(e)
plausible deniability—with the definition below:
[Each
match is worth 10 points]
_C_ To contact
sources of
someone else's story, gather fresh quotes, compose in your own
words, and lead
with one extra source.
_A_ To steal
and pass off as
one's own the words, images or research of another journalist.
_B_ To
fabricate quotes,
stories, testimonials and depict them as real.
_E_ To base or
justify
actions on viewpoint, which can never be fully ascertained.
_D_ To
generate or compose
words, images or research and pass it off as someone else's.
5. Note: Circle the correct
answer.
Advertising contains hidden and obvious messages; where do ethical
concerns
usually arise?
(a)
In the manifest message subject to federal trade and import laws.
(b)
In the latent message that may have little to do with the product.
(c)
In the manifest message free from government regulation because of the
First
Amendment.
6. Note: Circle the correct
answer. In our
discussion of power we focused on these two types of courage:
(a)
existential and relative
(b) physical and moral
(c) moral and absolute
(d) congressional and obsessional
(e) military and moral
(f) civil and
assertive
7. Note: Circle the correct
answer. Which
statement below is the most correct
ethically:
(a)
Power is not a value but a force we employ to assert our values.
(b)
Power is not a value but an external concern over which we have no
control.
(c)
Power is the most effective value that a journalist can have in a
competitive
environment.
8.
Note: Circle
the correct answer.
People who ... do not rush discussions to
express their views, listen as much as they
speak, and research what they do not understand … are practicing:
(a) kindness.
(b) social marketing.
(c) discretion.
(d) social
norming.
(e) fairness.
9. Answer these questions "true" or "false" (worth 10 points
each):
True
or False: Job
failure often has little to do with competence or competition but a
clash of values or value systems.
True
or False: A mission statement can have ethical components, but
its intent is to state why a company or organization exists
strategically.