Objectivity vs. Commentary in covering Internation...
November 26, 2024
In the early hours of Thursday, February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladmir Putin announced a “special military operation” to “denazify and demilitarize” Ukraine (Berger, 2022). This moment was the culmination of years of military and scenario planning, and months of anticipation in the media across the globe. Speculation over a… Read More
QAnon and the Return of JFK Jr.
October 30, 2024
What are the ethics of covering conspiracy theories in the news? Read More
Bringing Dead Actors Back to Life
October 2, 2024
One of Hollywood’s most treasured actors may soon appear on the big screen again. James Dean –star of classic films like East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant– epitomized sexy youthful rebellion for many teens coming of age in the 1950s and beyond. While comeback roles are not… Read More
Tik-ing Off Users?
July 10, 2024
On September 12, 2023, TikTok launched its newest addition to the popular app: TikTok Shop. Originally, TikTok functioned as a video-sharing platform where users shared information, their thoughts and feelings on various topics, and of course, viral dances. However, with the implementation of the marketplace feature, creators now have the… Read More
The Ethics of Skinvertising
April 18, 2024
Getting a tattoo can be a symbolic personal decision, one that is not for everyone. It’s a decision to express something about their personality in a permanent and often publicly visible way. But what if your tattoo was meant to advertise for someone else instead of to display your own… Read More
Communicating the Origin of COVID-19
April 16, 2024
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, originated from Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Since then, SARS-CoV-2 has spread across the world and has claimed over 6 million lives as of April 2023. To develop better treatments for the virus and prevent another global pandemic, many scientists have worked to pinpoint… Read More
Cold Cases or Hot Topics?
February 22, 2024
What are the ethical concerns of true crime podcasts? Read More
Scientists as Superheroes?
February 22, 2024
How can scientists ethically and effectively communicate urgent information? Read More
The Ethics of Amazon Alexa
August 29, 2023
On November 14, 2014 tech giant Amazon announced the newest voice assistant to hit the market. The voice assistant, commonly known as “Alexa,” was a primary feature of a new wave of Amazon systems, known as the Echo. Alexa could answer virtually any question asked and perform many functions; from… Read More
Psychedelic Hype
July 18, 2023
What are the ethics of communicating new research on psychedelic drugs? Read More
My Murder, Your Entertainment
May 15, 2023
It’s no secret that true crime media, whether in podcast or film format, has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. True crime is popular for reasons other than entertainment, as this genre has led to solving cold cases, bringing ignored issues to light, and educating audiences on how to avoid… Read More
Love Yourself or Just Your Selfie?
May 8, 2023
While Instagram used to be a casual platform to share quick snapshots with friends, it has turned into a perfectly curated stream of highlight reels. Like many young people, 21-year-old Sky Lane heavily edits her photos before posting them to social media. Lane’s main goal is to appear skinnier, but… Read More
Sprinting Towards Publication
February 27, 2023
Now that social media sites like Twitter allow news to spread like wildfire, journalists have been feeling more pressure than ever to get their stories published in accordance with stricter deadlines in an effort to compete against other media organizations. However, many wonder whether this competitive race to be the… Read More
The Ethics of AI Art
February 24, 2023
For thousands of years, art has been an endeavor of the human race. From Rembrandt to Basquiat, from the Benin Bronzes to the new wave cinema of Hong Kong, art has been recognized as creative expressions of human intelligence. With the public release of DALL-E 2, a neural network that… Read More
Cancel Culture in Journalism?
February 20, 2023
2020 and 2021 were years marked by the concept of “cancelling.” To cancel someone or something means to stop supporting that person, business, or organization. It could also mean using methods of publicity to harm that person, perhaps through affecting that person’s reputation or their means of income. Whether one… Read More
With Great Fame Comes Great Responsibility?
February 13, 2023
TikTok Influencers have a lot of power. Should they use it in ethical ways? Read More
It ain’t Easy Being Green
January 12, 2023
What are the ethics of greenwashing products in advertising? Read More
The Ethics of DNA Predictive Technology in Law Enf...
December 5, 2022
What are the ethical tradeoffs of surveillance software in online education? Read More
Imperfections or Revealing Mistakes on Twitter?
November 30, 2022
What ethical concerns arise when Twitter users can edit their tweets? Read More
Can Journalists also be Activists?
October 31, 2022
What does objective reporting mean in covering the Black Lives Matter protests? Read More
Newsworthy Expression or Tragic Tea?
October 18, 2022
What happens when YouTube drama channels switch from influencer gossip to serious tragedies? Read More
Is Coordinated Political Activity on Social Media ...
October 13, 2022
Are coordinated political campaigns ethical? Read More
The Ethics of TikTok Trends
September 15, 2022
When do popular TikTok trends become unethical? Read More
Socratic Discussion or Masked Bigotry?
September 1, 2022
How offensive can trolls be? A case study in online free speech. Read More
More than a Fashion Faux Pas?
August 25, 2022
Can inclusive advertising survive the heavy hand of Facebook's able-biased AI? Read More
Internet Activism or Cyberterrorism?
August 18, 2022
Is hacktivism an ethical form of protest or activism? Read More
Historical Accuracy in Entertainment Media
August 10, 2022
How accurate do historical dramas like "The Crown" need to be? Read More
Adam Schefter and “Mr. Editor”
June 7, 2022
How much control over stories should journalists give sources and subjects? Read More
The Good, the Bad, and the Sticky
May 24, 2022
What are the tradeoffs associated with sticker art in public spaces? Read More
Reporting on the Night Stalker
July 14, 2021
How far should journalists go in covering a deadly serial killer? Read More
A Tool for Racial Equality or Cancel Culture?
April 26, 2021
Should Yelp be in the business of branding businesses as racist? Read More
Accurate and Effective Reporting in a Pandemic
April 5, 2021
What ethical choices await Indian news media covering the pandemic? Read More
The Ethics of News Paywalls
February 15, 2021
Are news paywalls good for journalism and democracy? Read More
Stopping the Spread of Anti-Vax Memes
February 8, 2021
Should platforms censor anti-vaccination memes to help end the pandemic? Read More
The Ethics of Digital Contact Tracing
January 28, 2021
What worries arise when we use digital contact tracing to fight COVID-19? Read More
Newsroom Objectivity in the Age of Black Lives Mat...
January 20, 2021
What does objective reporting mean in covering the Black Lives Matter protests? Read More
The Ethics of Op-Eds
December 29, 2020
Should newspapers run controversial or offensive op-ed pieces? Read More
Greed or Good Intentions in Investigative Journali...
December 21, 2020
Did Bob Woodward do something wrong in delaying the release of his investigative research on Trump and COVID-19? Read More
Reporting on Caste and Sexual Assault
December 5, 2020
What are the challenges and choices journalists face in reporting caste-based violence in India? Read More
Who’s Helping Who in the Game of Lobbying?
October 27, 2020
What are the ethical risks and rewards of political lobbying? Read More
TikTok, Time to Snitch
October 21, 2020
Is it ethical to use TikTok to shame fellow college students who violate COVID-19 guidelines? Read More
Quelling Interference or Dissent?
October 20, 2020
Did Tumblr's purge of Russian misinformation accounts go too far? Read More
Putting the President in Check
October 13, 2020
Is Twitter's decision to add a factcheck to Trump's voter fraud tweet a good thing? Read More
Celebrity Death in the Media
October 5, 2020
What challenges arise when the media covers dead celebrities who were both loved and hated? Read More
Setting the Terms of the Debate
October 1, 2020
What ethical trade-offs accompany different ways of framing advocacy campaigns in political communication? Read More
The Ethics of Word Choice
September 28, 2020
Is ambiguity and creative wordplay ethical in political communication? Read More
Sex, Drugs, and Hijabs on Netflix
September 21, 2020
Is Netflix's "Elite" a case of creative filmmaking or Muslim stereotyping? Read More
Freedom Of Skepticism and the Social Responsibilit...
September 17, 2020
How much skepticism of experts is ethical for powerful leaders during a pandemic? Read More
Gaming Platforms and Shocking Speech
September 14, 2020
When the gaming platform Twitch wants to police the speech of its users, what could go wrong? Read More
Angry for Change
September 8, 2020
Is anger - and angry political rhetoric - good for democracy? Read More
Political Speech or Legalized Bribery?
September 1, 2020
Lobbying may be legal in politics, but is it ethical? Read More
Blurring the Line Between Reporting the Truth and ...
August 25, 2020
Should journalists show the faces of protesters in news coverage? Read More
Picturing Justice for Kalief Browder
August 17, 2020
What ethical worries accompany Jay-Z's attempt to document injustices in the American prison system? Read More
Campaign Promises and Vague Rhetoric
August 12, 2020
What are the ethical uses and abuses when it comes to using ambiguity in political communication? Read More
The Paradox of Pathos
August 1, 2020
What are the ethical promises and perils of using emotional messages in politics? Read More
Objectivity in Journalism
July 28, 2020
What are the challenges of objectivity in journalism? Read More
Ghosting the People?
July 13, 2020
Is using a ghostwriter in presidential communication ethical? Read More
Whose Image is It to Use?
July 9, 2020
What ethical choices lie behind the use of images for advocacy campaigns? Read More
Doxing in the Name of Public Health
July 6, 2020
Is it ethical to name and shame those that violate travel precautions in the COVID-19 pandemic? Read More
Fighting (Online) Fire with Fire?
June 22, 2020
What are the ethics of using counterspeech to fight online harassment? Read More
Pandemic Prime Time for the Cuomo Brothers
May 26, 2020
What ethical concerns arise with the brotherly interactions between Governor Cuomo and journalist Cuomo? Read More
Politics in the Age of Digital Information Overloa...
May 21, 2020
What are the ethics of Facebook allowing potentially misleading political ads? Read More
Paying Your Way to the Top
May 20, 2020
Are purchases made in multiplayer video games unethical and unfair? Read More
Written In Only to Be Excluded?
May 11, 2020
What are the ethics of screenwriting and diversity in hits like "Game of Thrones?" Read More
Campaigning for Your Enemies
May 7, 2020
Is it ethical to campaign for opponents you know you can beat? Read More
Producing Fear for the Greater Good?
May 4, 2020
How much complexity can we overlook in persuading young adults to fight COVID-19? Read More
Can Artificial Intelligence Reprogram the Newsroom...
April 27, 2020
As artificial intelligence plays an increasing role in newsrooms, what ethical issues arise? Read More
Are there Bigger Fish to Fry in the Struggle for A...
April 13, 2020
Is PETA right that our anti-animal sayings do more harm than good? Read More
Images of Death in the Media
April 2, 2020
What ethical challenges arise when the media uses images of the dead? Read More
Powerful Art, Harmed Environments
March 29, 2020
What if great art has to harm the environment to make its point? Read More
Misinformation, Social Media, and the Price of Pol...
March 25, 2020
Is banning paid political advertising on social media good for democracy? Read More
The Different Species of the Online Catfish
March 24, 2020
What ethical complexities circle around catfishing and online deception? Read More
Actors Playing Protestors in Real Life
March 19, 2020
What are the ethics of Bollywood celebrities joining popular protest movements--and the calls to "cancel" their careers? Read More
Changing Comments or Changing Minds?
February 20, 2020
When a Pakistani newspaper uses an algorithm to change user comments to protest government censorship, what could go wrong? Read More
Dramatization or Falsification?
February 17, 2020
How far can films about journalists push the truth for dramatic effects? Read More
Beer Cans and Cancel Culture
February 5, 2020
What are the ethical challenges when journalism and cancel culture merge? Read More
How Vigilant Should Cable News Be About Political ...
February 3, 2020
What are the ethical implications of CNN refusing to air Trump's misleading advertisements? Read More
Greta Thunberg and Her Harsh Critics
January 30, 2020
What are the ethics of criticizing young political activists like Greta Thunberg? Read More
The Ethics of Anonymous Criticism in Political Jou...
January 22, 2020
What are the ethical implications of using anonymous political sources in journalism? Read More
To Release or Not to Release
January 22, 2020
What are the ethics of films that portray political assassinations in India? Read More
Ethics and E-Cigarette Advertising
January 20, 2020
What ethical concerns arise in regulating e-cigarette advertisements? Read More
Fighting the Amazon Fires with Misinformation
December 2, 2019
What are the ethical dilemmas posed by celebrity activists using not-so-accurate information on social media to save the environment? Read More
Secret Facebook Groups and the Ethics of Democracy
November 18, 2019
People are turning to secret Facebook groups to express their political opinions. What are the ethical implications of this trend for democracy? Read More
Censorship in Pakistan
November 12, 2019
What are the challenges to reporting the news in Pakistan? Read More
Social Media Activism or Mere Slacktivism?
November 12, 2019
When online activists vow to make a villain famous, what could go wrong? Read More
Matters of Facebook Live or Death
November 12, 2019
What are the ethical worries over Facebook Live and immediate internet broadcasting? Read More
No Comment
November 12, 2019
What are the ethical issues involved in closing news website comment sections in a democracy? Read More
Virtual Reality, Immersive Media, and Journalism
November 12, 2019
What are the ethics of using virtual reality in real journalism? Read More
Cooperation and Compromise in the Artworld
November 11, 2019
When can artists work with repressive governments to create valuable art? Read More
Reporting on Sexual Assault in India
November 4, 2019
What are the challenges to privacy and community safety in reporting on sexual assault in India? Read More
Green is the New Color of Money
April 30, 2019
What are the ethical concerns with "greenwashing" in advertisements to sell products? Read More
Limiting or Lifesaving?
April 9, 2019
Are there any ethical problems with banning anti-vaccination content from social media platforms? Read More
Halloween Hijinks and Internet Shaming
April 3, 2019
What ethical decisions await those dressing up for Halloween--and those reacting to racially insensitive costumes? Read More
Netflix and Kill
March 14, 2019
What are the ethics of portraying heinous criminals in popular films? Read More
Advertising Ethics and Social Issues
March 5, 2019
Gillette walks the razor's edge in using the battle against toxic masculinity in their recent ad campaign. Read More
And Nothing But the Truth
March 1, 2019
How can reporters balance accuracy and good effects in their reporting on war-torn African communities? Read More
The Ethics of Computer-Generated Actors
February 13, 2019
What ethical concerns arise when filmmakers use CGI to resurrect dead actors? Read More
When Does Artistic Creativity Become the Exploitat...
January 22, 2019
What ethical concerns arise when a prominent photographic artist uses her children in her work? Read More
“One Does Not Simply Create a Meme”
January 14, 2019
When does the creation and sharing of internet memes go too far? Read More
Entertaining Endorsements in Sports Journalism
December 28, 2018
What conflicts arise when sports journalists also get endorsement deals? Read More
Sacking Social Media in College Sports
December 27, 2018
Should college athletes be limited in their use of social media? Read More
Defending Freedom of Tweets?
December 21, 2018
What are the ethical challenges that arise when professional athletes share their views on social media? Read More
The Wild West of Sports Journalism?
December 20, 2018
Do the ethics of sports blogs differ from mainstream journalism, especially when covering sexual scandals? Read More
Just Do It?
December 12, 2018
Did Nike do too much in their use of Colin Kaepernick and others in their recent advertising campaign? Read More
Does the Photo Fit the News?
December 11, 2018
What happens when a powerful image becomes the face of the immigration debate? Read More
Digital Immortality on an App
December 10, 2018
When AI chatbots let us talk with the dead, what ethical issues might haunt us? Read More
Is It Only A Game?
December 6, 2018
First-person shooter video games are popular. But are they ethical to enjoy? Read More
“Some of My Best Friends are Internet Vigilantes”
December 5, 2018
What are the ethical issues that arise with naming and shaming racists online? Read More
How Can I Be So Mean to Myself?
December 4, 2018
What are the ethical concerns with the new phenomena of digital self-harm? Read More
Side Effects May Include Persuasion
December 3, 2018
What ethical concerns are raised by direct-to-consumer advertising for pharmaceutical products? Read More
Covering Female Athletes
November 30, 2018
What ethical choices are made in how female athletes are portrayed in sports media? Read More
Don’t “Like” My Children
November 28, 2018
What could go wrong when parents share information about their children online? Read More
When Actors Become Characters
November 26, 2018
What are the ethics of fictional works created by fans that involve real people as characters? Read More
Filtering Out Cyberbullying
November 23, 2018
What are the ethical issues raised by Instagram's efforts to filter out cyberbullying? Read More
To Catfish or Not to Catfish?
November 15, 2018
What are the ethical problems with "catfishing" online? Read More
Values Preserved in Stone
November 7, 2018
What are the ethical issues surrounding Confederate memorials? Read More
Gaming the System?
November 4, 2018
What are the ethical problems with cheating in Fortnite? Read More
Boldly Going Where Studios Have Gone Before
October 31, 2018
When does fan fiction cross the line from inspired creativity to unethical stealing? Read More
AI and Online Hate Speech
September 25, 2018
Can AI save us from online hate speech? Or will it learn our worst traits? Read More
Google Assistant and the Ethics of AI
September 24, 2018
What ethical issues arise when realistic-sounding AI is used in human interactions? Read More
Sweet Justice?
July 25, 2018
Did Pepsi go too far in its use of protest iconography to sell its product? Read More
#MeToo and the Arts
July 18, 2018
What happens when the #MeToo movement meets the artworld? Read More
When Comedic Stereotypes Cease to Be Funny
July 8, 2018
Do humorous - but stereotypical - characters like Apu from "The Simpsons" cross ethical lines? Read More
Doxing and Digital Journalism
July 6, 2018
When can journalists reveal the identity of controversial social media users? Read More
First, Do No Harm?
May 7, 2018
What ethical issues arise when balancing doctor-patient confidentiality and the protection of third parties? Read More
Finsta Fad
April 30, 2018
What are the real ethical issues raised by fake Instagram accounts? Read More
Collateral Damage to the Truth
April 27, 2018
What conflicts arise when journalists want transparency on drone deaths? Read More
Swipe Right to Expose
April 24, 2018
What could go wrong with an investigative journalist covering the sordid side of the Rio Olympics? Read More
Biometrics, Data, and Privacy
April 17, 2018
Does national security trade off with privacy in biometric identification? Read More
Sharing the Pain
March 30, 2018
What ethical issues does the rapid sharing of information in emergencies raise? Read More
Fake News, Fake Porn, and AI
March 29, 2018
What are the ethical issues involved in the use of AI in creating fake video content? Read More
Ethics and Artistic Appropriation
March 26, 2018
What are the ethical issues raised by reframing the meaning of public artworks? Read More
Suicide, Fiction, and Ethics
March 21, 2018
What are the ethical issues raised by Netflix's "13 Reasons Why"? Read More
Free Speech and the Ethics of Protest
March 14, 2018
What are the ethics of free speech and controversial protests? Read More
Ethics and the Tweeter-in-Chief
March 5, 2018
What are the ethical issues with President Trump's use of Twitter? Read More