Week #10 Questions

The whole of Chapter 12 involves Woodward and Denton speaking to the idea of ethics and what that means in terms of persuasion. In the introduction to the chapter, they supply many facts that prove that we as Americans have grown unaware of ethical behavior and seem to not care as much as we once did. What do you think is the major cause of this unethical behavior? Woodward and Denton state that numbers among college students who cheat is staggeringly high. Do you feel that our generation has less sensitivity towards unethical behavior? How can we reverse this way of thinking?

Woodward and Denton describe the influence of celebrities in our culture and how at times they are held to a much higher ethical standard than the rest of us. This, however, can become a problem as many do not want to be. One profession that Woodward and Denton mention has a lot of problems with this is athletes. “Interestingly, a growing number of athletes deny any such responsibility. They believe they are paid to play the game, and they are not obligated to accept any other responsibility,” (358). When I read this, one instance that came to mind was the Michael Phelps smoking weed photo. After the photo was released many people were very upset and Phelps came out with an apology right away. Many supporters of his argued, however, that he is just a 20-something year old who was partaking in something that many people his age do. The entire conflict was a media frenzy and in the end was eventually left alone. I would like to know, however, your stance on this. Do you think that athletes should be held to a higher standard just because they are in the public eye? Should Michael Phelps have apologized for his actions and promised to not do it again?

When you think of the name Katie Couric, Barbara Walters, or Larry King you can not just think of them for the simple fact that they are newscasters; they are celebrities as well. In Chapter 12, Woodward and Denton say that this can be a problem for many viewers because news networks use this popularity to their favor. By having certain people report on certain stories and how they use their “talent” can change the way you view the story that is being presented. This very closely can interrupt media ethics because major news companies can affect what you are thinking simply by who is telling you in the information. Can you think of a news celebrity that you see as influential? Do you think that they would be able to sway your thinking simply because it was them? Do you think this is unethical for the media to do?