Review of the Book 'Journalism Ethics Goes to the Movies, edited by Howard Good'

Thus for journalism teachers and students in Colombia, or war-ravaged countries, or even peaceful but authoritarian nations where the Libertarian business model of journalism does not apply, the book offers little ethical relevance. And yet, it is precisely in such challenging environments that journalists can use some ethical guidance. For example, what ethical solutions do journalists have when the media system in which they operate oblige them to distort or cover up information that can save lives? Or how do journalists reconcile their moral obligation to minimize harm to the wider society when faced with fatal threats to their family’s safety? It may rightly be too much to expect college professors in the US – or in the UK in the case of Robert Brown – to tailor their work to the many different media systems the world over. Academics are after all defined by specialist fields. Yet, at the same time, the possible international reach of this book must also be noted. Western academic publishers have put US and UK textbooks in universities around the world. The popularity of the US as a global higher-education destination also places aspiring journalists from other countries in US classrooms. The addition of chapters dealing with journalism ethics for local (i.e. non-Western) journalists in nondemocratic media systems and violent conflict regions would certainly expand the book’s relevance and utility to a wider audience, without sacrificing the needs of US-based readers.