Revisiting media ethics in the age of global public conversations
Media ethics have been receiving a lot of attention in recent times. As technological advances have been reshaping the practice of news media, which previously reached a more limited local, regional or national public, the topic of ethics has assumed a new global prominence. 'Today, news media use communication technology to gather text, video and images from around the world with unprecedented speed and varying degrees of editorial control. The same technology allows news media to disseminate this information to audiences scattered around the globe' In addition to the increased speed and reach of news media, nowadays the public relies on social media not only for their news and information but also to debate the issues they read about. In an age of global public conversations, should media ethics evolve and what are some of the factors to consider? This question resonates not only in newsrooms across the globe but also among practitioners and academics from different fields. Given our ever increasingly interconnected world, information accuracy and the ethics of the decisionmaking process on what and how to cover a health or social issue, organization, celebrity, or political campaign have never been more important. News media are now part of a global system 'where the impact of their reports can have far reaching effects good or bad across interdependent social, political and health outcomes. Please allow me to make this clear. Being a journalist or a communication practitioner specializing on mass media communication and relations has never been more challenging. Most journalists need to take into account a delicate balance between protecting the public's interest; increasing viewership or circulation of the media outlets they represent; feeding the public's ever increasing fascination with the most miniscule details of an event or celebrity's life; learning about new topics and issues at an unprecedented pace; and of course considering the ethical implications of their reporting. Many of these same considerations also apply to the decision making process of those communication practitioners who specialize in organizational communication, where the need for increasing visibility for one's organization or programs need to be counter balanced by issues of ethics, social justice, and what's best in light of the public's interest and/or the groups they serve. Yet, never as in our times do so many reasons point to the need for revisiting media ethics in a way that would support the kind of reporting that is reflective of our global media environment as well as multiple views and cultures; and most important, also appeals to a responsible global ethic 'to practice a journalism that helps different groups understand each other better' A local, insular, or media outlet driven view of media ethics is not longer supported by the global environment in which we live. Such view may create biased, inaccurate or partial coverage and result in public misunderstanding on the implications of local issues on global or national prosperity; incite groups within a country or a region to attack each other; promote parochial views and prejudices against specific groups or populations; advance causes or issues that may not longer be in the best interest of our global interconnected community; and/or incite social discrimination, wars, genocide, racism, terrorism, or other disruptive and unjust events. This has great implications also for global health outcomes and health communication as all of these issues intersect with our quest for and commitment to improved population health outcomes, health equity, and health systems strengthening. The emotional and economic capital that is often spent on countering the kind of narrative that makes communities less safe or different groups less likely to work with each other to find common solutions has long lasting implications for health systems and our ability to address health