Consequentialism And Dialogic Ethics (Essay Sample)

YourFirstName YourLastNameInstructor's NameCourse Title16 August 2014 Consequentialism And Dialogic Ethics Utilitarianism vs. Dialogical EthicsIntroduction Utilitarianism is generally held to be the view that the morally right action is the action that produces the most good (Bentham, 2009). Dialogic ethics on the other hand states that communication between two parties should be in such a way that you treat each other as a person and not an object that can easily be manipulated. It is seen to put more emphases on the facts and not on the consequences. Communication is imperiled or sometimes destroyed if the trust bond between the communicating parties is breached (Solomon, 1984). In recent times people have become more aware of their rights and freedoms leading to a rise in the attention paid to the conduct of the media as they relay the news.  Many media houses, NPR included, have found themselves in unfamiliar territories after reporting substandard news and in turn put the credibility of all their news at risk. To try and correct this issue, NPR released an ethics handbook with the set of guidelines that their employees ought to follow when reporting their news.  This new handbook has caused as to whether it represents a move from away utilitarianism towards dialogical ethics. According to the management of NPR these guidelines are not only to answer questions but to also ask questions. However, I believe that this handbook represents a move away from utilitarianism towards dialogical ethics due to a couple of reasons got from the handbook.Accuracy to avoid liability The first reason is the emphasis that is put on the accuracy of the news relayed so as to avoid being sued for the consequences that might arise out of relaying some news. By ensuring their news is accurate they protect themselves against any liability that may put on them due to the impact caused by the news. This may mean sometimes giving news which affects the society negatively in future just because the news is accurate and verifiable. For example, a video by terrorists which might cause panic in the society even though the threat has not been proved by security agencies to exist. Just the fact that the video is proved to be from the terrorists, makes it enough the video to be aired. Utilitarianism on the other hand, would support first evaluating the short term and longtime consequences of airing the video before deciding whether to air it. This brings about the concept of balance. If there appears to be balance in the evidence, it means that the evidence cannot be used as it has to be verified. If used, it has to be stated that it is not verified.Facts priority The second reason why I believe this is a move towards dialogic ethics is, the priority given to the provision of fact provided instead on the decision or opinion those receiving the news made. As long as there is fairness in correction of information, by ensuring that in times of conflict to get the opinion from both sides, the news is considered credible and worthy. This will most of the times mean relaying the news prematurely which might cause irreparable damage if the information is too sensitive. According to Benthan, one of the utilitarian’s, human beings have two masters; pain and pleasure, which guide them as they make decisions. Actions are approved when they are such as to promote happiness, or pleasure, and disapproved of when they have a tendency to cause unhappiness, or pain (Bentham, 2009). Based on the above beliefs, the handbook can with authority be said to move NPR towards dialogical ethics since it is not based on doing what brings pleasure and avoids pain, but what the facts are.Facts finding The third reason is based on the handbook’s take on how they interact with those they seek information from. The handbook states that, “When we ask tough questions, we do so to seek answers -- not confrontations.” This shows that they are motivated to collect facts not based on the better good of those to be affected by the news. This means that it is considered ethical to ignore pain or pleasure got from the news as long the information gathered and relayed is true and accurate. This is evidenced by this statement in the handbook, “Our goal is not to please those whom we report on or to produce stories that create the appearance of balance, but to seek the truth.” This shows the emphasis that is put on being ‘fair to the truth’ and also avoidance of the ’he said, she said’ journalism. This is against utilitarianism which supports the use of logic to determine the impact of a story on all the stakeholders. In general, it takes into account the emotional dimension to every story before running it.Individuals’ needs The other reason is the value attached to the trust by the public who are the main stakeholder and also the trust from NPR’s sources. The code emphasizes the need to protect the identity of their sources whether they provide information that is correct or not. This means that at times the need of one individual can be put in front of everyone else’s needs; especially when the news to be relayed is malicious, as long as it’s true. This is a move from utilitarianism which states that, “people do sometimes act benevolently — with the overall good of humanity in mind.” This statement clearly shows the dimension the handbook takes, which is away from utilitarianism and towards dialogical e...