Media Ethics in the Digital Age

This course may be used to satisfy one of four electives required within the Communication major.This course gives students an understanding of the ethical dimensions of communication in an accelerating digital world. Drawing on philosophical principles that resonate with Jesuit values, students will learn to identify, evaluate, and where possible interpret moral conflicts in the media and communication environment, in the media industry, and between the industry and the public. Rather than look at ethical conflicts strictly from a Western lens, the course introduces the students to a variety of philosophical and cultural models. Using a case study approach, the course addresses various contemporary ethical concerns, such as social media and mental health, misinformation, hate speech, extremist content, documentaries, alternative business models for journalism, international and cross-cultural issues, commodity activism, guerilla marketing, entertainment, privacy, doxing, and copyright.