Media Ethics

Ethos and pathos are very strong rhetorical devices. Writers need to understand their responsibilities and understand the result of their writing before it is published. Most of the time, our media lives up to these standards, but occasionally, they don’t.
Pathos is a rhetorical device that appeals to emotions and imaginative sympathies. Pathos, when used correctly, certainly can have a very strong effect on an audience, however, must be used correctly. You must write according to your age group. If you are writing for small children, you shouldn’t use extreme violence or detail in pain scenes. As a writer, you have a responsibility to persuade and provide information for your audience, but do so in a humane way. Also, you shouldn’t overdo pathos to create such an unbearable argument that the reader will become depressed. You shouldn’t give the reader more information than they can healthily handle. This goes for any age group.
Ethos is extremely effective, but can easily be misused. Ethos deals with the tone and style of the piece, and how you reinforce your argument. This can’t easily be done unethically, but people still manage to. You can’t present your argument in a way that isn’t appropriate for your audience. By writing an argument, you have a responsibility to keep your reader’s emotions intact all through and after the argument. Present your argument is a way where no one takes offense to your style or what you’re saying. It will diminish your credibility, and demean your ethos.
Writers have media ethics that are guaranteed to be followed. The very least of the media ethics include not giving the name of a minor, and not destroying the reputation of anyone in the article. This is summarized as truth, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, fairness, and public accountability This is most always followed, except for an occasional mishap where a reporter doesn’t focus on the facts, and focuses more on destroying the reputation on someone. The media’s job is to report facts accurately and fairly, and not with the intention of tearing someone down. Every magazine, news station, etc… has there own standards on ethics, (some higher than others), but the general standard of ethics must be, and almost always are, followed. If they are not followed, then the media reporter is arrested. All media, journalism, reporter, etc… majors are required to take an ethics class in college that teaches them the ethics and responsibility they have as a reporter, and is most always followed.