VARYING PERSPECTIVES OF MEDIA ETHICS

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes to explain the role of media as the ‘Fourth Estate of the Government’. An Attempt has been made to bring different perspectives of ethics which comprises views of Aristotle, Machiavelli, Immanuel Kant, J S Mill, Rawls and Mahatma Gandhi. The paper focuses on Press Ethics. Press ethics’ reflects the society and the regulations that shape the press system. The ethical standards and the code of conduct media practitioners should actually abide by is an ongoing debate. The responsibility of the press has changed along with the changing role of the government and its relationship with the people. The role media ought to play has been emphasized, where in the views of Markandey Katju, Chairman, Press Council of India (PCI) has been incorporated and the role of PCI in regulating media has been discussed therein. At the end of the paper, scant mention of the media council has also been made. 

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