Global Media Ethics and the Digital Revolution

This volume responds to the challenges posed by the rapid developments in satellite TV and digital technologies, addressing media ethics from a global perspective to discuss how we can understand journalism practice in its cultural contexts. An international team of contributors draw upon global and non-Western traditions to discuss the philosophical origins of ethics and the tension that exists between media institutions, the media market and political/ideological influencers. The chapters then unveil the discrepancies among international journalists in abiding by the ethics of the profession and the extent to which media ethics are understood and applied in their local context/environment. Arguing that the legitimacy of ethics comes not from the definition per se, but from the extent to which it leads to social good, the book posits this should be the media's raison d'être to abide by globally accepted ethical norms in order to serve the common good. Taking a truly global approach to the question of media ethics, this volume will be an important resource for scholars and students of journalism, communication studies, media studies, sociology, politics and cultural studies.

Noureddine Miladi is Professor of Media and Communication at Qatar University. He is former head of the Department of Mass Communication and President of the Arab Media and Communication Network (AMCN.online). He is editor of JAMMR, the first peer-reviewed English journal in Arab media and society.

Introduction: Digital Media Explosion and the Question of Ethics Part 1: Media Ethics Revisited 1. Political Correctness in a Digital Age: The Ethical Implications of a Hegemonic Discourse 2. Impartiality, Fairness and the Bias of Empire: Technologies of Freedom or Constraint? 3. Freedom of Expression and Social Responsibility: Contested World Views on Media Ethics 4. Global Media Ethics: Ideology, Politics, and Eurocentrism 5. Rethinking Global Media Ethics for a 'post-American' World Part 2: Media Ethics in Practice 6. Freedom of Speech, Responsibility and Human Rights in Islam 7. Philosophical Roots of Ethics in the Islamic Tradition 8. Ethics of Investigative Journalism 9. Fake News as a Challenge for Media Credibility 10. Media Ethics and the Challenges of Democratic Transition in Tunisia 11. Journalism Ethics and Conflict Sensitive Reporting: The Case of Al Jazeera Network Part 3: Global Media Ethics Global Challenges 12. Journalistic Deontology in News Coverage of Poverty in the Digital Age: Why Objectivity is bad when reporting on inequality 13. The Culture of Framing Terminologies 14. Tracing Securitisation of Narratives and Images in the Global Media Discourse 15. Decolonising African Journalism Ethics: From Afriethics to Afrokology