ACC213 - Dilemmas Defamation Deception And Disinformation note
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Deakin University *
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213
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Philosophy
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Apr 3, 2024
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Topic 1 – Intro Dilemma of Defining Ethics?
Plural noun -- usually treated as plural Moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an activity.
‘a code of ethics’ Oxford English Dictionary
https://www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?scope=Entries&q=ethics
Guiding Questions
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What is the purpose of making pictures of real events available to the public?
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How do our own cultures, beliefs, and locations influence how we see information?
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What can we control, as professional communicators?
Your Views?
•
Australia Day merch and the right to buy thongs/flags at Aldi?
•
What’s the story here, thinking about ethics and public interest?
Dilemma of Vision – Who Has to Decide?
Three Survived, Here’s One Speaking https://7news.com.au/news/sea-world-helicopter-crash-
survivors-speak-ahead-of-one-year-anniversary-of-accident-on-gold-coast--c-13055975
Ethics and Professional comms Values: How We Came up with Formal Ethical Codes
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Fairness - think about what your idea of fairness is
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Honesty – is it always best?
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Accuracy - What steps do you take, now, to achieve this in your work?
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Respect – what does this look like in the news?
Codes Help US Work With Ethical Dilemmas
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Making quick decisions when working to deadline
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Balancing obligations to employer, the public, the law
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Competitive media environment = you say “no” when others go ahead and get the info needed…what then?
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Who’s doing the actual work? Realistic expectations of what’s in your control
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Not deciding for others what they think, or want, in various scenarios
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Can you think of more?
Assignment Writing Example: A Past Assignment
1. At a Victoria Police media conference, Public Relations Officer Joe Chen tells a gathering
of journalists that police, urged by the family of a missing woman, want public help to find
her. He tells them the woman's name, age, and the Melbourne suburb where she lives with her
husband. Channel X reporter Jean Harlow goes with a camera crew to the couple's home after
finding the address in a public phone directory. Police also gave all media outlets a head shot
photo, which they obtained from the husband when he reported his wife missing. The
woman's family, including her husband, have all agreed to participate with the media because
they want people to come forward with any information about what they might have seen on
the day she disappeared.
Top Scoring Student Assignment First Part of Response to Paragraph 1
1. As public relations officer for the police, Joe Chen is tasked with establishing a mutual
understanding between the police and public.1 This requires Chen to engage the media and
share information deemed relevant to assist in the search. Chen must conduct himself in
compliance to the Public Relations Institute Alliance and the relevant code of ethics(“PRIA
code”). Firstly, the information that Chen announces to the media (name, age, place
of residence) was directly obtained by the police from the family of the missing woman.
In doing so, Chen successfully complies with rule 3 of the PRIA code which states that
members ‘shall not knowingly disseminate false information and shall take care to avoid
doing so’.2 Secondly, Chen’s line of conduct appropriately meets the interests of his client,
the police. The police have an interest in finding the missing woman, so Chen’s choice to
release the name, age and place of residence are all relevant for members of the public to
know,
ultimately benefiting the investigation. This successfully complies with rule 14 of the PRIA
code which states to ‘act in accord with the aims of the institute’, the police.
Jean Harlow is a reporter for a commercial TV network – Channel X. Channel X is bound by
ACMA’s Commercial TV Industry Code of Practice (CTV Code). Jean is also bound by the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance’s Journalist Code of Ethics
(MEAA JCoE). It is a journalist’s job to report information that must be relayed to the public,
the media are often labelled the ‘eyes and ears of the general public’.4 However, it is vital
that the media ensures their role in a criminal matter remains separated from the investigative
role of the police. This issue was highlighted in the decision of ABC v O’Neill where the High Court
recognised that a criminal investigation is not exclusive to the police and the criminal justice
system; the media plays a key role. In ABC v Lenah Game Meats, the High Court recognised
the importance that media coverage has in raising awareness to issues of public interest.
Therefore, Channel X may report on the missing woman as it is within the public interest as it
refers back to security concerns for the public – and it might warrant heightened awareness in
a local community.
These were the Extra References used to respond to that paragraph
•
https://www.pria.com.au/what/what-is-it/.
2
PRIA
Code
of
Ethics,
rule
3
(“PRIA
Code”).
3
(PRIA
Code,
n
2),
rule
14.
4 Attorney-General v Guardian Newspapers Ltd (No 2) [1990] 3 WLR 776, 183
This student used AGLC referencing style, but you can use Deakin’s prescribed style for
Arts/Ed Faculty assignments.
Conclusion
Topic 2 - Ethical Regulations and Codes
Materials The Broadcast Codes
The Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) is in overall charge of the conduct of broadcast media professionals and corporations. It is like a building that can be the base for different practitioners who are all part of, for example, the legal profession but practise in different areas.
ACMA's authority to license and regulate broadcasters (NOT print) comes from the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (Cth) Services Act 1992
Key Point:
If any decision-making scenario involves broadcast media, the ACMA Codes
must be mentioned and taken into account at work and in your assignments.
Ethical Codes
The TV Ethical Codes
Commercial TV stations (Channels 7, 9 and 10 & affiliates)
are governed by the Free TV Australia code, which is an industry based (ie voluntary and made up
of people from the industry) regulation of commercial TV practices accountable to, and regulated by, ACMA:
ABC Editorial Standards
SBS Charter
The Radio Ethical Codes
This is the ACMA authorised regulations covering commercial radio stations (any that aren't ABC or SBS).
Commercial Radio Code of Practice
Disinformation Code
This ethical code is also authorised by ACMA. This is the same government agency that endorsed Digi’s Disinformation Code in February 2021
Members include Facebook, Google, Twitter, Redbubble, eBay, GoFundMe
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DIGI
is the non-profit industry association advocating for the digital industry in Australia
Voluntary Ethical Codes
The MEAA Journalist Code of Ethics
The Media Entertainment Arts Alliance Journalist Code of Ethics
The MEAA Journalist Code of Ethics is needed for BOTH assignments. It is provided in the Topic 2 materials and via the link above.
Key points
It applies to print, digital, online and broadcast news and current affairs practitioners
The organisation and code below refers to Print and their Digital Publications Only
The Australian Press Council
The APC
is a body that is financed by the print industry to investigate complaints
about material and practices in/of newspapers and magazines (in both print and
online versions).
It has no powers to punish journalists but can make adjudications on complaints
and strongly urge publications to publish these adjudications.
APC member publications
Statements of Principles, the ethical guidelines it promotes and the Advisory Guidelines
Key points
The APC does NOT apply to broadcast.
PR Ethical Regulation
Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) Code of Ethics
PRIA Code of Ethics
Note: The PRIA Code of Ethics does not apply to journalists or news/current affairs workers.
Advertising and Marketing
Lecture Topic 2 covers
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Australian ethical codes that help with dilemmas –assignment 1 relevant
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The main case study for assignment 1
Ethical Regulations and Ethical Codes: First, Ethical Regulations
Digital Media Production, Content on Socials: ACMA regulates with the Digi Code
Explainer - How the Code came about and what DIGI does
Tip – Other countries will have their own version of this government agency
The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (Cth)
Ethical Regulations are enforced by Australian law. They cover ONLY BROADCAST – RADIO, TV, ONLINE SITES BELONGING TO RADIO AND TV, plus those
Belonging to DIGITAL CONTENT PROVIDERS/SOCIALS with newsfeeds, public interest information
They are counted as part of formal Australian law because of the law that makes it compulsory for each broadcaster to have a set of ethics guidelines.
Ethical regulations are a bit different from Codes because …
The government body that licenses all these is the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
ACMA also monitors this ethical regulation -- Commercial Radio Code of Practice
Activity – Write Your Assignment!
Jimbo Jones has a public Facebook page with 1200 followers based mostly in Melbourne, who often "Like" the news he gathers as a reporter for Melbourne's commercial radio station 3UX.
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To Do – Open a new Word document on your computer, title it with your name, Student ID, Unit Code, and “Assignment 1”.
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Type a “1.” onto your page, then open Topic 2 Content, go to the Commercial Radio Code of Practice, keep it open for the next part.
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Write an opening sentence that states Jimbo’s profession, then the ethical regulation he and his employers must
follow (i.e. no choice).
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Follow that with a sentence about the specific point or points in the CR Code that you think will apply to Jimbo’s activities so far. Ethical Codes
: are Voluntary
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Ethical Codes are not compulsory for everyone to follow or sign up to
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Professional Communicators agree to follow them, or don’t agree, or disregard them
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Media, advertising, digi media orgs decide to join, or not
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That means – they are not regulated by actual law
, AND
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No one gets punished by fines, losing their licence, being suspended, or having their productions taken off air –
this can happen to radio stations, broadcast media company owners, TV shows, advertisers, digital media producers
Material suitable/unsuitab
le for broadcast
News and Current affairs
Interviews and Talkback Radio
Emergency Broadcasts
Complaints
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NOT to PRINT or PR = they are both covered by Ethical CODES
Ethical Code For Individual Journalists
Australia’s Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) Code of Ethics
•
PRIA is a professional body serving the interests of its members. PRIA is mindful of the responsibility which public relations professionals owe to the community as well as to their clients and employers.
•
PRIA requires members to adhere to the highest standards of ethical
practice and professional competence.
•
All members are duty-bound to act responsibly and to be accountable for their actions.
Fake Public Relations
AFR Fooled
https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/episodes/afr/101906500?
utm_campaign=abc_mediawatch&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_so
urce=abc_mediawatch
A fake press release, and what other ethics related points?
Question: Where would the public complain about Commercial TV content from/in Australia?
•
Answer: Free TV Australia Media Entertainment Arts Alliance Journalist Code of Ethics Covers all news media professionals who decide to join the MEAA (an Australian union)
It applies to all types of media: print, digital, broadcast, radio, TV, online, freelance, casual
There are similar ethical codes in other countries
•
This is the group of TV stations that joined up to regulate their activities and comply with ACMA’s enforcement of ethical standards.
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Other countries have equivalent industry opt-in orgs about ethical standards
Activity
: Check out the next video clip and note who reported it, what TV channel, what’s it about.
•
Open the relevant Ethical Regulation from Topic 2
•
Find the point or points that relate to what they got wrong.
Nine Apologises for Altered Image of Vic MP
The Australian Press Council
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The APC is made up of ONLY PRINT outlets who send a representative to meetings to decide on ethical guidelines for all members
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They meet to hear complaints from the public about stories, or the actions of journalists working for the newspaper or magazine.
Newspapers ONLY
Australian Press Council’s Ethical Code is
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The APC Statement of General Principles
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The relevant section you will need is in Topic 2 Content
Public Complaint to APC Outcome Example – Hillsong Church Case
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Adjudication 1815 24/3/22
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“The Press Council considered a complaint from Lisa Guglielmucci concerning an article published in The Daily Telegraph headed "Liar cleric's fresh call'" in print and "Disgraced Hillsong singer Michael Guglielmucci launches homeless charity" online on 3 April 2021.”
MAIN Point: Case Study For Assignment 1 - The George Pell Case Timeline
o
11 December 2018 A Victorian Supreme Court jury returns a unanimous verdict of guilty
on five sexual assault charges. o
A suppression order meant this cannot be reported until the “swimmers trial”, in Ballarat, was heard in April 2019. o
Australian media report that a high-profile Australian was found guilty of child sexual assault but they can’t say who, or where. This results in letters from Judge Kidd to more than 200 media outlets and journalists, saying they defied the suppression order.
o
26 February 2019: Prosecutors announce they have dropped the Ballarat charges against Pell owing to a lack of evidence, and because one of Pell’s key accusers died in January
2018. As there is no longer a risk of prejudicing a jury, Kidd lifts the suppression order on
the first trial.
o
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/26/rise-fall-george-pell-timeline
o
Cardinal Pell appeals but loses in the Victorian Supreme Court in 2019
o
He appeals to the High Court, which overturns his conviction.
Activity -- watch this clip up from 3.07mins in, to 7.40mins (See powerpoint) -
What sort of information is put forward? Fact, opinion, comment?
-
What formal ethical code applies to Sky TV?
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