ABSOLUTIST ETHICS- position form which there is a clear-cut right or wrong response for every ethical decision
ACCOUNTABILITY- the obligation to take responsibility, or account for, the consequences of ones actions. In media ethics, accountability involves the questions of who controls media practioners and who has the power to punish them for ethical lapses
ACTUAL MALICE- reckless disregard for the truth of published, defamatory information
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW- the rules and regulations of governmental agencies
ADMONITION- a judge’s warning to jurors to consider only evidence presented in the court room
AGENDA-SETTING THEORY- theory that predicts the amount of attention given to an issue in the media affects the level of importance assigned to it by the public
ARTISTIC SPEECH- creative work, such as painting, dance, and literature.
APPLIED RESEARCH- media investigations devoted to practical, commercial purposes
BLACKLISTING- the practice of keeping a particular type of person from working in media and other industries
BULLET THEORY- theory that implies that media effects flow directly from the media to an individual
CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE- the ethical guidelines to look for principles that will hold true in all situations
CATHARSIS THEORY- the idea that viewing violence actually reduces violent behavior
CHANGE OF VENUE- the moving of a trial to a different location
CHECKBOOK JOURNALISM- paying news sources for their stories
CITIZENS’ GROUPS- associations made up of members of the public to exert influence, such as on the media
CIVIL LAW- law that considers disputes between private parties
COMMERCIAL SPEECH- Advertising
COMMON LAW- precedents based on judges ruling
CONFLICT OF INTEREST- clash that occurs when an outside activity influences what a media professional does
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW- basic laws of a country or state
CONTEMPT- willful disobedience of the rules of a court or legislative body
CONTENT ANALYIS- a research method in which observers systematically analyze media subject matter.
CONTINUANCE- postponement of a trial
COPYRIGHT LAW- law that entitles the owner of a work to make and distribute reproductions of it
CORRELATION- a situation in which two things occur at the same time, or in close succession, more often than chance would lead you to expect
CRIMINAL LAW- public law that deals with crimes and their prosecution
CULTIVATION THEORY- theory that the media shape how people view the world
CULTURAL STUDIES- research based on careful observations and though rather than on controlled experiments or statistics
CUMULATIVE EFFECTS THEORY- theory that media have profound effects over time through redundancy
DEFAMATION- communication that is false and injures a reputation
DEREGULATION- the repeal of gov rules and regulations
DESENSITIZATION- a process by which viewers of media violence develop callousness or emotional neutrality in the face of a real-life act of violence
DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS THEORY- theory that different types of people will adopt new ideas at different times
ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST- theory that holds that doing what is right for yourself will probably be right for others
ETHICAL CODES- lists of guidelines issued by professional associations
ETHICS- the study of guidelines that help people determine right from wrong in their voluntary conduct
FAIR COMMENT- defense against a charge of libel based on opinion or criticism
FAIR USE- Doctrine that allows the copying of a work for a noncommercial use
FIRST SALE DOCTRINE- the doctrine that allows purchasers of a copyrighted work to resell it or rent it out
FLOW THEORIES- Explanations of the way effects travel from the mass media to their audiences
GAG ORDER- judicial command not to speak about trial proceedings
GENDER STUDIES- research that looks at how the media deal with male and female roles
GLOBAL VILLAGE- Marshall McLuhans’ idea that modern communications technologies will bring together people of different cultures
GOLDEN MEAN- Aristotle’s term for describing ethical behavior as a midpoint between extremes
HOAXES- purposeful deceptions of the public
INDECENCY- offensive content with possible social value
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES THEORY- theory that predicts that people with different characteristics will be affected in different ways by the mass media
LABORATORY EXPERIMENT- scientific method of isolating and observing variables in a controlled environment.
LIBEL- published or broadcast defamation
MACHIAVELLIAM EHTICS- the idea that the end justifies the mean
MEDIA CIRCUS- chaos that results when crowds of journalists descend on the scene of a news event
MEDIA ECOLOGY- School of cultural study that suggests that media make up an ecological system for humans
MINIMAL-EFFECTS MODEL- model that predicts that media will have little influence on behavior
MIXED-EFFECTS MODEL- model that predicts that media can have a combination of influences
MODELING- the limitation of behavior from media
MULTI-STEP FLOW- a complex interaction of media effects
NEWS COUNCILS- independent agencies whose mission is to objectively monitor media performance
OBJECTIVITY- description according to the characteristics of the thing being described rather than the feelings of the one describing it
OMBUDSPERSON- staff member whose job it is to oversee media employee’s ethical behavior
OPINION LEADERS- well informed people who help others interpret media messages
PATENT- an exclusive right granted an inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention
POLITICAL/ECONOMIC ANALYSIS- theory that predicts that a cultures exchange system will influence its values
POLITICAL SPEECH- messages about the meaning and correct course of government
POOL CAMERAS-one camera crew shared by several TV news organizations
POWERFUL-EFFECTS MODEL- model that predicts that media will have swift and potent influence
PRESCRIPTIVE CODES- guidelines that stipulate specific behaviors to be followed
PRIVILEDGE- exemption given public officials to speak without fear of being sued for libel
PROPAGANDA- information that is spread for the purpose of promoting a doctrine or cause.
RANDOM SAMPLING- Method that ensures that every member of the population being studied has an equal chance of being chosen
RELATIVISTIC ETHICS-another name for situation ethics
SEDITIOUS LIBEL LAWS- laws established in colonial America that made it illegal to criticize gov or its reps
SELECTIVE EXPOSURE- process by which people seek out messages that are consistent with their attitudes.
SELECTIVE PERCEPTION- process by which people with different attitudes interpret the same messages differently
SELECTIVE RETENTION- process by which people with different views remember the same event differently
SEQUESTERING- isolating members of a jury
SHEILD LAWS- laws designed to ensure confidentiality of news sources
SITUATION ETHICS= principle that ethical choices can be made according to the situation, without a rigid adherence to set rules
SLANDER- Defamation that occurs in a transitory form such as speech
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY- theory that people learn by observing others
SOCIALIZATION- process by which children learn the expectations, norms, and values of society
STANDARDS AND PRACTICES DEPARTMENTS- departments at television networks that oversee the ethics of their programming
STATUTORY LAW- collection of laws, or statutes written by legislative bodies, such as by congress
STEROTYPING-representing a member of a group by using oversimplified characteristics
SUNSHINE LAWS- laws that ensure that public meetings are conducted in the open
SURVEY METHODS- research methods that rely on questionnaires to collect research data
THEORY- a set of related statements that seek to explain and predict behavior
TRADEMARK- a work, symbol, or device that identifies a seller’s goods
TWO-SOURCE RULE- common newspaper rule stating that nothing should be published as fact unless at least two sources confirm it
TWO STEP FLOW- communication process in which media effects travel though opinion leaders
USES AND GRATIFICATIONS THEORY- theory that looks at the ways media consumers choose media to meet their needs
UTILITARIAN PRINCIPLE- John Stuart Mill’s idea that actions are ethical only if they result in the greatest good for the most people
VEIL OF IGNORANCE- John Rawl’s term associated with the idea that ethical behavior is possible only if everyone is treated equally | 
