This was a powerpoint presentation presented to my Media Ethics class on Chapter 4, Loyalty.

1. Chapter 4: Loyalty
Lindsay Bagwell

2. Brief Introduction
● Thomas Hobbes
○ First major Western philosopher to assert that God did not have to be the focus of
loyalty.
○ Acknowledged that people could have more than one loyalty at a time and might,
at certain times, be forced to choose among them. (Most philosophers hold this
notion today.)
○ Asserted that loyalty has limits
■ Loyalty to the ruler stops when continued loyalty would result in the subject’s
death
● Loyalty can influence the decisions we make on a daily basis.

3. Brief Introduction
● Josiah Royce
○ American Theologian
○ Defined loyalty as a social act: “The willing and practical and thoroughgoing devotion of a
person to a cause.”
■ A loyal person does not have the leisure to decide.
■ Loyalty promotes self-realization.
■ Loyalty as a single ethical guide has problems:
● 1. Loyalty incompletely perceived, can bias or prejudice thinly cloaked.
● 2. Few people maintain merely a single loyalty and if loyalty is to become a guiding
ethical principle, we need to develop a way to help distinguish among competing
loyalties.
● 3. The concept of face-to-face loyalty has lost much of its power.
● 4. The question of whether or not it is ethical to be loyal to an unethical cause.

4. Loyalty in the Media
● When a journalist decides to air or not to air a story, they are ultimately making a
decision to whom they will be loyal to.
● According to the American Press Institute, “The publisher of journalism – whether
a media corporation answering to advertisers and shareholders or a blogger with
his own personal beliefs and priorities — must show an ultimate allegiance to
citizens” - https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/what-is-
journalism/elements-journalism/
● Real World Example: A doctor went to the media about the coronavirus and
ended up being detained due to “a bureaucratic culture that prioritizes political
stability over all else probably allowed the new coronavirus to spread farther and
faster” - https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/02/04/chinese-doctor-has-
coronavirus/

5. Conflicting Loyalties
● 4 Types of loyalty by William F. May
○ Shared humanity
■ “Demonstrate respect for each person”
■ “Communicate honestly and truthfully”
■ “Build a fair and compassionate environment”
○ Professional practice
■ “Fulfill the informational and entertainment mission of the media”
■ “Understand audience needs”
■ “Strive to enhance professional development”
■ “Avoid abuse of power”
■ “Conduct professional activities”

6. Conflicting Loyalties
○ Employment
■ “Keep agreements and promises, operate within the law, extend due process”
■ “Do not squander your organization’s resources”
■ “Promote compassionate and humane professional relationships”
■ “Foster policies that build a community diversity”
■ “Promote right of all to be heard”
○ Media’s role in public life
■ “Serve as examples of open institutions”
■ “Foster open discussion and debate”
■ “Interpret your professional actions”
■ “Serve as a voice to the voiceless”
■ “Serve as a mirror to society”

7. The Potter Box
Step One: Understanding the Facts
Step Two: Outlining Values
Step Three: Philosophical Principles
Step Four: Articulate Loyalties
https://dtc-wsuv.org/jcohen/tools-for-ethical-decision-making/potter-box.html

8. Case 4E
A Question of Role: Is a Documentary Filmmaker a Friend, a
Journalist or An Entertainer?
Pg. 100-102

9. Case 4-E Background Info
● David Sutherland made an independent film/documentary in 1998 titled The
Farmer’s Wife to showcase “economic struggles in family life”
● The family depicted is the Buschekoetter Family in Nebraska (40 families
interviewed)
○ Darrel
○ Juanita
○ Three daughters
● Shot over three years and 200+ hours of footage (6 ½ hour documentary)
● Three Segments:
○ The Buschekoetter family detailing their life and struggles
○ Nearly losing the farm due to financial strife
○ “Resolution of their problems”

10. The Farmer’s Wife Trailer (1998)

11. Case 4-E Additional Info
● Sutherland and the Buschkoetters were not friends during film, but “a
friendship developed” after the film was distributed
● During filming, the farm faced a buyout over a $100 deficit
○ Darrel: “Don’t you think that’s a little bit ridiculous? I mean if it had to be, I could go out and
sweep a street and make $100 to eliminate a buyout.”
● Stress over finances and family life led to Juanita and Darrel having marital
issues, with the former taking their three girls to their aunt’s after an intense
argument
● Sutherland firmly believed that the Buschekoetter’s dream of saving their farm
was equivalent to Sutherland’s dream of making a good documentary
● Post-Distribution:
○ The Buschkoetters spoke about about their issues to Congress and toured across the country
giving speech
○ Their daughters have “gained more self-esteem”

12. Some Ethical Concerns...
1. Should a struggling family be filmed and showcased in a documentary in the
first place?
2. If the director/producer had a chance to intervene in the financial struggles of
the subject, should they ($100)?
3. With that being said, would it desecrate the artistic vision and/or call to action
depicted in the documentary by choosing not to remain objective and assist
the subject?
4. If you were the producer, would you have lent the Buschekoetters money,
even if it compromised the point of your project?
5. Should the film itself even matter since the director could justify the action of
lending them money because it could be argued that it would be a
humanitarian thing to do?

13. Aristotle
● Virtuous Life: Life is about
character, not just about following
the rules
● Aristotle would find this unethical
because Sutherland stood back
during the filming instead of
jumping in and trying to help out. If
Sutherland had of stepped in, the
story would not have been as
strong because there wouldn't have
been as much suffering.

14. Kan
t● The action is most important, “Treat
humanity as an end, never as a
mean”
● Sutherland had two options, one to
intervene and lose credibility in the
story or to stay out of it and have a
stronger story and remain objective
as a documentary filmmaker
● Kant would find this unethical
because he didn't do the
humanitarian option of helping out
the family
● Sutherland used his end (non

15. Mill
● Pleasure, not intention
● Outcome is most important
● Mill would find this ethical because
the documentary was successful
and the family was able to keep the
farm even though Sutherland did
not help out monetarily or
emotionally.

16. Case 4-E Modeled w/ Potter Box
Facts:
● Sutherland is making a documentary
that depicts a struggling farm family
● The family’s farm could be lost in a
buyout, but it can be saved
immediately with $100
Loyalties:
● According to Sutherland, “if
someone’s life were in the balance,
I’d have come up with the money.”
● Portraitist > Investigative Journalist
Values:
● Sutherland values objectivity as a
documentary filmmaker
● He also values showing an “intimate
portrait” using a “social issue as a
backdrop”
Principles:
● Aristotle: Not ethical
● Kant: Not ethical
● Mill: Ethical

17. Our Thoughts - Ethical or Unethical?

18. Case 4-G
Quit, Blow the Whistle or Go with the Flow?
Pg. 104-106

19. Overview
● Robert D. Wakefield, Brigham Young University
● An urban school district consisting of 40 schools with more than 35,000
students
● The superintendent replacement believed that the individual educators were
trained to run the schools with minimal interference from outside sources
● Student population began to decrease as people moved to the suburbs, now
only filling 3 of the 4 high schools
● Board members proposed closing one of the high schools but were met with
strong feelings from faculty, parents, and students
● The board members tried to solve the problem behind closed doors without
community involvement to avoid conflict

20. Overview (cont.)
● At a board meeting, the superintendent stated: “if any reporter shows up, I will
change the subject -- but today we’re going to talk about closing a high
school.”
● This meeting led to rumors stirring around the community
● The public relations specialist (Robert Wakefield) working on this case was
polarized on how events unfolded. He began meeting with community
members, teachers and students, and followed up with local reporters
regarding the manner.
● Wakefield was faced with a major ethical dilemma.
● “Quitting, blowing the whistle, or keeping quiet?”

21. Discussion

22. Some Ethical Concerns...
● Who should Wakefield be loyal to?
● Should he have shared his personal views with
community members?
● Was it okay for the board members to keep journalists and
community members in the dark about closing the high
school?

23. According to PRSA...
● Advocacy:
○ We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those
we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and
viewpoints to aid informed public debate.
● Honesty:
○ We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing
the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public.
● Loyalty:
○ We are faithful to those we represent, while honoring our obligation to
serve the public interest.

24. Kant
● As human beings, we have certain moral
rights and duties
● Are we willing to have everyone act as we
do?
● I think Kant would find this as unethical
because of the closed-door meetings and
the whole “change the subject” dilemma if
reporters were to walk in.
● Would you want to be left in the dark if
you were a part of the community being
affected by the closure?

25. Mill
● “Our actions have consequences”
● The ends justify the means.
● In the end, four board members
requested a meeting with him, and
asked what he would do as a PR
Practitioner. He stated that they revert
back to what should have been done in
the first place. They took his advice and
a few months later, the school closed
down, and he ended up accepting a job
at a public relations firm, which justifies
the means.

26. Case 4-G Modeled w/ Potter Box
Facts:
● A school board is hosting closed-
door meetings excluding the public
about closing a school down due to
declining school populations.
● Wakefield does not agree with what
they do, but does not make the public
aware of his opinions since the
school district is his employer.
Loyalties:
● Wakefield was loyal to many
journalists he had previously worked
with-- “I had worked with some local
reporters for several years and felt
comfortable giving them background
so that they could seek additional
materials without revealing me as the
original source.” (Patterson & Wilkins,
2014, pg. 106).
Values:
● Wakefield values family and providing
support to them.
● Values the importance of education.
Principles:
● Kant: Unethical
● Mill: Ethical

27. Linking This Case to Loyalty
● The book states that “Media professionals are faced daily with a barrage of
potential loyalties- the truth, the audience, the bottom line, the profession- and
choosing among them is the most basic of ethical decisions.” (Patterson &
Wilkins, 2014, pg. 83)
● “When making ethical choices, it is important to consider what your loyalties
are and how you arrived at those loyalties.” (Patterson & Wilkins, 2014, pg.
83)

28. References
Patterson, P., & Wilkins, L. (2014). Media Ethics: Issues and Cases (8th ed.).
McGraw Hill.