Discussion 6 -- COM101 Mass Communications

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Date Posted: 20:35:25 12/14/08 Sun
Author: Brea O'Donnell
Subject: Discussion 6

Mass Communications - Discussion 6

Brea O'Donnell
December 10th, 2008
Scenario #1 - Kiss and Tell: Publishing details of a mayor's personal life

I do not believe it would be ethical to report a story based purely on rumor, regardless of the situation. Despite whether or not the story turns out to be true, publishing a story like this could result in a multitude of problems for all parties involved.
First and foremost, the potential harm done could be life altering, especially when it involves someone in a high power position like Mayer David Burr. Aside from his career being at risk, he would suffer from personal and mental anguish in his private life, making it difficult to do his job efficiently.
A city official who has recently separated from his wife is an easy target for affair rumors when he works in close quarters on a daily basis with his secretary. Although that seems ridiculous to me, being that all people in high power positions work closely with their assistant or secretary. I found it interesting that there was never any mention of him not doing his job properly, pointing at a possible relationship with his secretary Kim Wilson. There is little, if any, evidence that there was any such relationship between the two, except for hearsay. This could result in the loss of one or both of their jobs, while hurting everyone else around them.
Based on the information provided, we are not told whether or not Kim Wilson is married. If she was not married, she would look like the manipulating woman who was the reason for the separation between the Mayer and his wife. If she is married, suddenly she becomes the cheating wife who lured the Mayer away from a happy marriage. Unfortunately, the truth has very little to do with reality once the media gets involved. Lives are ruined every day thanks to these false presumptions, with no remorse for those involved whatsoever. Printing gossip as truth can become a legal issue if you insult the wrong person. This is an opportunity for them to sue you for slander, which is a sticky situation to be in. I am not disputing that the public has a right to know something that is relevant to them, I just do not believe that a person should be ridiculed for how he is (or isn�t, if the rumors were in fact false) living his or her life. As long as the decisions a public official makes after hours does not carry into work, there should be no need to address it to the public.

Works Cited
Media/Impact by Shirley Biagi � Chapter 15 � Ethics

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