This text introduces readers to the tools necessary for making moral and ethical decisions regarding the use of mass media. The focus is on the three mass media industries most pervasive in today’s society: the news media (journalism), advertising, and public relations. In his exploration of ethical issues and media, author Thomas Bivins guides students to understand not what the “right” answers are, but to identify those answers that are most appropriate within the given context. Identifying those to whom the answers are the most appropriate is a major concern of this book. Readers come away with a greater appreciation for the complexities of making a moral decision and develop a personal “yardstick” by which to measure their decisions. The chapters in this text offer insights on: similarities and differences among the ethical dilemmas faced by the mass media; common ground on which to evaluate media behavior; media obligations; professional ethics; ethical theory and its application to the modern media; and considerations of truth and harm. This text has been developed for courses covering ethics in public relations, advertising, and journalism. Offering valuable lessons applicable to all forms of communication, Mixed Media serves as a critical starting point for understanding and developing answers to ethical questions. These lessons serve not only to better students’ ability to make ethical decisions, but also to better the media professions as they become practitioners in the mass media industry.

Mixed Media: Moral Distinctions in Advertising, Public Relations, and Journalism