Registry

Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2012 - 2013
Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title	Communication Ethics
Module Code	CM598
School	School of Communications
Online Module Resources
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	10
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

Description

To examine the core ethical theories, beginning with those most familar to most students, those from the Western tradition, beginning with Greece, which that have guided the building and operation of social and political institutions for two millennia.To examine democratic political theory and theories of free press rights and responsibilities within that framework.To examine moral obligations within communication theory and explore how journalist obligations complement or conflict with other obligations to self and to society.To examine moral obligations outside the broadly Anglo-American model of democratic political theory and its concomitant commitment to free speech and press.

Learning Outcomes

1. Answer the questions, "What ought I to do?" and "On whose authority?"
2. Apply classical ethical theory to contemporary professional communication practice
3. Resolve contradictory moral obligations in the field of journalism and other mass communication professions
4. Participate meaningfully and compellingly in group discussion of ethical quandries and connundrums
5. Write thoughtfully and reasonably on matters of resolving moral dilemmas in the field of journalism and other areas of professional communication
6. Analyse and compare ethical theory and practice within the Anglo-American model with other, competing ethical theories and standards of professional practice

Workload	Full-time hours per semester
*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Lecture	22	weekly lecture
Assignment	50	preparation of weekly written essays
Directed learning	75	weekly reading assignments
Seminars	11	weekly seminar
Assignment	35	Final paper
Independent learning	60	Other
Total Workload: 253

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Introduction to moral reasoning..
The authorities for ethics. The relation of religion to ethics ancient thinking and modern.Deontology. Utilitarianism. Non-reason-based moral systems.Are ethics immutable or changeable over time and space? WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic) and other paradigms.Modern and contemporary ethical thinking.Resolving competing ethical obligationsPolitical theory: the role of a free press in a democratic society. The moral obligations of the journalist.The differences between the moral obligations of journalists and those of other communication professionals. Resolving those differences.Competing obligations: What communication professionals owe audience, employer, self.Ethics and images.Into tomorrow: ethics, journalism, communication and the Internet.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Course Work Breakdown
Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Essay	2,500 word final essay on an examination of ethical theory to professional practice	30%	Sem 2 End
Report (s) (written / oral)	Weekly 800-word ethical assessments of professional practice	40%	Sem 2 End
Report (s) (written / oral)	Short paper on moral reasoning	15%	Week 24
Group laboratory	weekly seminar on assigned readings, professional observation and evaluation	15%	Week 24

Reassessment Requirement
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; 1 = A resit is available for all components of the module 2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module 3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Peter Singer: 1994, Ethics (Oxford Reader),
Jonathan Haidt: 2012, The Righteous Mind, all,
edited by Stephen J. A. Ward and Herman Wasserman: 2010, Media ethics beyond borders, Routledge, New York, 978-0-415-87888-3
edited by Clifford G. Christians and John C. Merrill: 2009, Ethical communication, University of Missouri Press, Columbia, Mo., 978-0-8262-1846-9
A.C. Grayling,: 0, What Is Good?, 0-75381-755-1
James Rachels, Stuart Rachels,: 0, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 978-0078038242
Tzvetan Toderov: 2010, In Defence of the Enllightenment,

Other Resources

None

Array

Programme or List of Programmes

MAJ

MA in Journalism

MAP

MA in Political Communication

MIC

MA in International Communications

MIJS

MA in International Journalism Studies