Living Ethics
Across Media Platforms

Michael Bugeja

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Fairness as Principle
 Fairness Process
 Journal Exercise
 
copyright Oxford University Press 2008, all rights reserved
Fairness as Ethical Principle

     Ethical journalists strive to achieve fairness and then assess whether they have, making adjustments to prepare for the next encounter. That makes fairness one of the most important values in any system. Embracing fairness, you live ethics. You eventually ensure ever-greater levels of ethical behavior because of the continual goal of self-examination and improvement. Fair-minded people know right from wrong. They commit to truth, especially to full disclosure, not only in what they disseminate but also about their own motivations and desires. They might be manipulated or tempted by others, but because they emphasize preparedness, they are less apt to be tricked or enticed the next time. Fair-minded people also promote inclusivity; they do not discriminate because racism is a lie. However, to embrace fairness and use it to enhance values, you also must have courage. You have to accept truth as you find it, even if that truth goes against everything that you have hitherto believed. You have to acknowledge, openly and freely, when you have been manipulated, tempted or biased; pride or ambition cannot stand in the way of such disclosures. ...

    

The Fairness Process         
Use this process to help evaluate your own or others’ work and/or behavior:

1. Ascertaining Pre-conceived Notions

             To practice fairness, you have to determine what, if any, presumptions may influence your or other people’s judgment.

            Ask yourself:

  • Am I willing to approach specific people or issues with an open mind or do I have any pre-conceived notions that may lead to a conflict or dispute?
  • Are others willing to approach me with an open mind or do they seem to have pre-conceived notions that may lead to a conflict or dispute?
    • Have both parties listened carefully to each other to dispel any such pre-conceived notions?
 

2. Balancing Viewpoints and Differing Interests

            To promote fairness, you should be able to identify, evaluate and balance viewpoints and interests.

            Ask yourself:

  • If I were the other party and held an opposite opinion or lifestyle, how would I view this particular issue or dispute?
  • How are others viewing me, based on my opinions or lifestyle?
  •  Are there any misperceptions in viewpoints that need to be identified, addressed and/or balanced by one or both parties?
 
3. Seeking Bonds or Advice

            To ensure fairness, the parties involved should seek common bonds or opinions and/or contact impartial advisers to help resolve issues or disputes.

            Ask yourself:

  •  What experiences or values do I and the other party share so that we can identify common bonds?
  • What interests or activities do I and the other party share so that we can identify like opinions?
  • What specific concerns shall we bring to the attention of impartial experts so that we can overcome basic obstacles and try one more time to reach a decision or resolution?
  
4. Evaluating Actions or Treatment

            To enhance fairness in the future, you need to evaluate the above processes to determine whether you have learned anything from the issue, dispute or resolution.

            Ask yourself:

  •  How could I have been treated more fairly?
  • How could I have treated the other party more fairly?
  • How has the process affected or enhanced my values on fairness?

Do You Or Others Play Fair or Foul?

Journal Exercise

1. Without violating your own or someone else’s privacy, recall a professional or academic situation, incident or event in which you believe you were treated unfairly. Describe the details in your journal but do not hand in your entries.

 
2. Without violating your own or someone else’s privacy, recount a professional or academic situation, incident or event in which you believe that you treated someone else unfairly. Describe the details in your journal but do not hand in your entries.  

3. Again in your journal, put each example recounted above through the fairness process, ascertaining conflicts, balancing viewpoints and differing interests, seeking bonds or advice. Finally make a determination about whether you were treated fairly (Journal Exercise No.1) and whether you treated another fairly (Journal Exercise No. 2).   

4. Now that you have determined fairness in the professional or academic disputes cited in Exercises Nos. 1 and 2 above, explain in a 250-word statement for each example:
  • How you could have been treated more fairly.
  • How you could have treated another person more fairly.
  • How the process has affected or enhanced your values on fairness.
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