Remember to focus on the behaviour of media professionals with regard to the issue you have chosen, and on the ethical debates given rise to in the media coverage of that issue, and not the issue itself. For example, if you are looking at the News of the World phone hacking scandal you need to describe and comment on the journalists involved and the ethical rules they may have violated.
Concentrate on the ethical issues involved. For example, regarding the issue you have chosen, did the journalist/advertiser/photographer/PR practitioner (or media company/publisher etc.) concerned behave ethically? If not what ethical rules did they infringe; what were the ethical principles at issue? What debates in Media Ethics are relevant to your chosen case study?
Avoid going into the broader issue behind the case study that you are describing.
Use a structure something like this:
– Introduction – briefly describe the event or incident that is the focus of your study
– Background – provide a detailed account of the event and relevant antecedents and outcomes; include samples from the media texts or images that you are concerned with
– Ethical principles and concepts – describe the ethical issues involved, refer to the relevant professional code of ethics and to Media Ethics (including, where appropriate, the philosophical ethics underpinning Media Ethics)
– Analysis – comment on whether you think the media professionals involved acted ethically or unethical, referring to the relevant ethical principles
– Conclusion – sum up your findings; what are the lessons that can be learned from your case study?
– Bibliography – list all your sources
