The Importance Of Utilitarianism For The Media

Everyone relies on some form of media for their daily information from weather and traffic conditions to information on local problems and topics. They count on the people reporting to be fair, open minded, and truthful. One would think and naturally assume that reporters only tell the facts and never let their own perspectives corrupt the flow of information. But with private ownership of media outlets sometimes it seems that profits and audience size is what now counts; the truth is out of here. With today’s media having to admit to exaggerations and flat out lying to the people, how can we trust them? What would John Stuart Mill, who helped shape Utilitarianism for the media, think of today’s media? What is the cost of freedom of speech?

The media should get back to their Deontology roots and

These images help shape the nature of the story being told; sometimes they help arouse support for a cause or an outcry for justice. Today they are also used to incite fear and the manipulation of the audience. Private owners of media outlets sell air time and page space to advertisers so they want a large viewing audience. They want stories that grab the audience’s attention and make sure they don’t change the channel. Some might even have a conflict of interest during certain times of the year with political views and politicians who are friends running for office. But this does not give them the right to tell their journalists to lie about the opponent or issue. “ Utilitarianism im-properly taught does nothing but allow decision makers to reinforce their own uninformed opinions (Elliot, 2007). The issue of ethics should not be lost to a private owner just to pad their bottom line. The truth should always matter; the public’s best interest should always be the media’s goal not their shareholders