COM 50200 Seminar in Professional Practice and Ethics

An investigation of the complex ethical dilemmas perceived to stem from the clash between individual and organizational values in our increasingly media-dependent persona, social, and professional environments. Attention will be paid to the bases of ethical decision making in modern professional and business organizations engaged in primarily mass-communication related endeavors. Students will be expected to engage in written and oral discourse, based upon secondary research focused upon competing media-driven economic, political, societal claims. Issues examined will include, but not be limited to, media violence, journalistic responsibility, government media regulation, threats to personal privacy, and media industry consolidation. Curricula will include, but not be limited to, various codes of professional ethical conduct published by professional organizations whose membership pursue careers in Advertising, Journalism, Public Relations, etc. Students investigate the study of laws which affect and regulate the mass media. This course includes a study of constitutional, statutory, and administrative laws.

Credits

3