Ethical Reflection
Throughout the thought-provoking discussion in class and the critical thinking used to complete our blog assignments, I have discovered what an ethical process is and its importance as a media student. Before taking this class, I had no knowledge of what an ethical system or ethical principle even was. Now, I feel confident that I will be able to apply my knowledge of ethics in my everyday life as a media student and transition them into my professional career in the advertising industry.
The Potter Box is an ethical system that requires you to go through certain steps in an ethical dilemma before making a decision. It requires that you consider the definition of the situation, the values held by all sides involved, the ethical principles that would address the situation best and the loyalties that this decision could positively or negatively affect. By going through the Potter Box, I am forcing myself to consider all the implications that my decision will have on the people and groups involved rather than just going with my instinctive response. The Potter Box has helped me see various perspectives in the decision-making process by requiring that I consider each of the different ethical principles that are applicable to the decision I am making, rather than just the ethical principle that supports my stance. By evaluating how each principle would advise my decision, I am able to view the situation through multiple ethical lenses, which helps me make the best ethical decision possible.
Within the media industry and specifically my chosen career in advertising, understanding the importance of the ethical process is valuable to maintaining a consistent decision-making process as well as a good reputation. In advertising, for example, I might create an advertisement that resonates well within my agency and with the client. However, if I do not consider other groups and institutions outside of my own, I put the agency at risk of releasing an offensive advertisement, which could damage the reputation of the agency. Therefore, when I take the time to go through an ethical process, such as the Potter Box, I am able to determine the loyalties the agency holds and how the decision to release the advertisement might affect those loyalties. Going through an ethical system is also valuable because it requires that I use an ethical principle as the foundation that my decision is rooted in. By using a credible ethical principle in combination with an ethical system like the Potter Box, I am able to make a morally-justified decision as an advertiser.
