As a group, pick an event which has ethical implications (e.g.
problems and/or controversy). Try to pick a specific event with a specific
set of individuals associated with it rather than a generalized problem (I
can help you narrow things if there is a need). You have been assigned to
groups, for the most part, based on your communication concentration, so there
should be ethical issues that relate to public relations, broadcasting, or
human communication related to your selection. I would hope, of course, that
your group will find communication ethical implications in a variety of areas,
but you should certainly focus on those that relate to your concentration.
As a group, investigate the event such that you can answer the following
questions:
What are the facts of the event? What actually happened. Note that there
may be more than one account of the facts and you may have to sort them
out and note any differences of opinion as to what the facts are?
What is the "rhetoric" that surrounds the event. What attributions
are being made, whether justified or not and whether based on fact, rumor,
supposition, or opinion. Specifically, what judgements are being made,
by who, and where. How are those judgements or attributions being presented?
Thinking outward in layers, what are the ethical issues associated with
the event? For the participants; for observers; for family; for friends;
for reporters; for editors; for public relations professionals and others.
Every event that has ethical issues in it will generally have a series
of ethical problems/decisions that grow outward from the core. What are
they?