Ethical reasoning among Ethiopian and Norwegian journalism students: A comparison
This paper is based on an experimental research approach where journalism students from two vastly different media societies, Ethiopia and Norway, were brought together to discuss ethical dilemmas. The purpose of the study is to interrogate to what extent ethical standards relating to the journalism profession are similar/dissimilar across cultural and societal boundaries.
The study involved a series of ethical cases and principal ethical issues which the students were asked to discuss in groups. The experiment took place in two steps: initially, each student constituency (Ethiopian and Norwegian) was divided in nine groups which were asked to arrive at consensus on specific ethical cases on their home arena. Answers were written down and collected for analysis. Secondly, a few weeks after, the Norwegian and Ethiopian students met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss the same topics in mixed groups. Answers were once again collected for analysis.
Two sets of exercises were given to each group. The first set consisted of constructed ethical dilemmas, specifically covering the topics of concealed identity; conflict of interests; coverage of suicide; attitudes to freebies; human compassion; privacy; protection of children; reporter–source relationship; and right of reply. The second exercise consisted of a principal ethical issue which the groups were asked to respond to, comprising the following areas: objectivity; religion; truth; national interest; political involvement; ethical universality; loyalty; and fact vs. opinion.
The experiment – which involved around 45 undergraduate students in total – detected some degree of discrepancy between the cultural groups even though similarity in ethical thinking was still more noticeable than dissimilarity in relation to the chosen topics. The paper presents the research findings and suggests reasons for the similarities/differences in ethical thinking between the two constituencies.
The study involved a series of ethical cases and principal ethical issues which the students were asked to discuss in groups. The experiment took place in two steps: initially, each student constituency (Ethiopian and Norwegian) was divided in nine groups which were asked to arrive at consensus on specific ethical cases on their home arena. Answers were written down and collected for analysis. Secondly, a few weeks after, the Norwegian and Ethiopian students met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss the same topics in mixed groups. Answers were once again collected for analysis.
Two sets of exercises were given to each group. The first set consisted of constructed ethical dilemmas, specifically covering the topics of concealed identity; conflict of interests; coverage of suicide; attitudes to freebies; human compassion; privacy; protection of children; reporter–source relationship; and right of reply. The second exercise consisted of a principal ethical issue which the groups were asked to respond to, comprising the following areas: objectivity; religion; truth; national interest; political involvement; ethical universality; loyalty; and fact vs. opinion.
The experiment – which involved around 45 undergraduate students in total – detected some degree of discrepancy between the cultural groups even though similarity in ethical thinking was still more noticeable than dissimilarity in relation to the chosen topics. The paper presents the research findings and suggests reasons for the similarities/differences in ethical thinking between the two constituencies.
Publisert i Norsk medieforskarlags 15. nasjonale konferanse, Kristiansand, 2012
Les artikkelen her