From Codes of Ethics to Public Cultural Truth

Abstract

In the face of rising criticism of the limitations of the `professional media ethics' approach to media ethics and media morality, this article explores a broader societal approach based on the norm of justice in the public construction of cultural truth. A central conclusion is that a variety of media-related social actors are simultaneously involved in the continued formulation and reformulation of the public cultural truth. The moral level of the system and of each social actor (including media professionals) depends on the level of dialogue among actors and mutual recognition of moral claims of all of the actors. The article attempts to illustrate a methodology for recognition of the moral claims of major social actors involved in media performance.