Ethics, media and journalism; a historical perspective; the development of media ideologies; democratic functions of the media; the challenge of communication developments; ethical and legal frameworks - the right to know and access to information, subversity and official secrets, Law and Order (Maintenance) Acts, defamation, government censorship/self-censorship; cultural contexts; editorial responsibility; media and commercialism - ownership and pressure from commercial interests, advertising and marketing; the basics of journalism and ethics - professionalism and codes of conduct, mechanisms of self-regulation; ethics and practical journalistic work - news criteria; public interest v the right to privacy; conflict of interest; confidentiality of sources, newsgathering, investigation and checking sources, objectivity, impartiality and truth, accuracy, understanding, fairness and bias; decency, taste and quality.
