Releasing News to the Public
Before the releasing a news story to the public, there are several factors that have to be addressed before its release. In the situation of The Charlotte Observer in November of 1986, they had to decide how much of the information that they received and collected was to be printed, because what became public knowledge could actually cause someone to lose their life. When someone runs for any type of office, they are going to be subject to a close examination of their character by the public. Everything that they do or have done in their life is going to be praised and / or scrutinized by the public. Where are the lines drawn and how much information should be printed about someone if it could possibly put their life at risk? By applying the Potter Box these answers should come to the forefront. There are several essential facts to this case. There is a candidate who has a past affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan but has been straight for years now. But the reason he was involved with the Ku Klux Klan was because "He was in the Klan as a plant. An informer. For the FBI. He prevented more Klan violence that you'll ever know. He wasn't a devil in the civil rights struggle. He was an angel" (Ethridge 1989). Also, if
5 Society: These are the people who want to know and expect to know every single aspect of what is going on in their society. Finally, the fourth quadrant comes into play in the determining of loyalties. What would I do in the shoes of the editors in this situation? Well, first, I agree with what they did after the candidate dropped out of the race - there was no need in reporting it then. The Judeo-Christian Persons as Ends: " Love your neighbor as yourself" this is the best one to apply because the newspaper should look at the candidate and feel for him knowing that if they print the whole story, he could very well die. Clients: These people help your business in many aspects and their influence and help can change due to your actions. The best ethical principle to apply to this situation is actually the least complex out of all of them. There are five loyalties and all can be applied in this situation. Then you move to the "moral values of truthtelling, humane, fairness, and honesty" (Zhang 2002). this information was to get to the public his life was in very serious risk. By reporting that he was involved in the KKK could eventually get him killed because someone may have started talking too much and all the info leaked out to the wrong crowd. Profession: People of the same profession will always be there to either praise or criticize you because whatever you may or may not do affects the whole profession. If the candidate didn't drop out I would have reported nothing about the candidate's past with the Ku Klux Klan because he really wasn't a bad person in it, he was doing good. The third quadrant of the Potter Box is now applied discussing the ethical principles that are present. After all, this is a very interesting story and a newspaper always wants to be first, fast, and accurate.
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Acceptance Essays
