Moral Psychology and Media Practice: Keys to Ethical Behavior in News, Public Relations, & Advertising

Dr. Patrick Lee Plaisance (Colorado State University) // April 10th, 2017 // 1:30pm-3:00pm // Jesse H. Jones Communication Center (CMA) 5.136

Moral psychology theories and methodologies offer exciting opportunities for work that advances media ethics research in new ways. From brain scans to ‘life story’ interviews to survey data, these opportunities are being explored with diverse populations in multiple disciplines. As empirical researchers increasingly interact with moral theorists, moral psychology research is able to explore the relationships among psychological factors and organizational-level structures and influences, and thereby illuminate the forces that help or hinder virtuous work. Similar lines of research with media workers is critical if media ethics theorizing is to continue to mature.

Dr. Patrick Lee Plaisance worked as a journalist at numerous American newspapers for nearly 15 years in Virginia, New Jersey, California, and Florida before his career in academia. His research focuses on media ethics theory, journalism values and media sociology, and moral psychology. He is author of Media Ethics: Key Principles for Responsible Practice (SAGE, 2009; 2014) and Virtue in Media: The Moral Psychology of Excellence in News & Public Relations (Routledge, 2014). He is editing the forthcoming volume, Handbook of Communication Ethics (DeGruyter, 2017). He is the current editor of the Journal of Media Ethics. Dr. Plaisance’s research has appeared in a number of scholarly journals, including Communication Theory, Journal of Communication, Communication Research, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, and Journalism Studies.

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Supported by the School of Journalism