Suure töökogemusega ajakirjanike professionaalsed väärtushinnangud

Date

2011

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Tartu Ülikool

Abstract

This bachelor’s thesis is titled „Professional values of well experienced journalists“. The major aim of this bachelor’s thesis was to analyse well experienced journalists’ interviews to find out which universal and professional values and principles reflect from their moral judgements. The thesis targets to identify how much journalists see ethical conflicts in their work and how homogeneous are their value hierarchies and moral sensitivity. The analysed empirical material contained of ten interviews with well experienced journalists form national and local newspapers. They were carried out from December 2010 to March 2011. The methodology of this thesis was argumentation analysis and test dilemmas. Author followed Rest’s scheme of ethical behaviour and so-called Potter’s box described by Christians et al. In this thesis the author focused on five universal values – truth, humaneness, justice, autonomy and responsibilty. Author came to conclusion that ten interviewees can conditionally be categorised according to those values, but their individual value hierarchies and principles are much more complicated and different. Hence thay can’t be identified as one homogeneous group of journalists who have the same strengths and deserve the same critics. In addition this thesis concludes that journalists’ moral sensitivity – their ability to see ethical conflicts, alternative demeanors and possible consequences and stay true to their reasoned choices – were also different, much like their value hierarchies. Journalists’ moral sensitivity depends mostly on how they talk about certain values, what kind of conflicts they see and to whom they are loyal to with their decisions. Based on carried out interviews journalists’ most common motivation is the loyalty to truth and responsibilty to their readers and publick interest. These values are upheld by principles like active intervinience and the wish to change the course of history. Journalists are also motivated by non-material awards like attention and recognition. In conclusion, studied journalists are not a homogeneous group with same professional and universal values. Their individual values and principles are affected by work enviroment and media organisation, but over all they still depend on every individuals personal attitudes and conscience.

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