YuetLingLaw

Comms300
EthicPaper
CaseIIID:ThePlagiarismFactory
1. Theethicalissue
TheadvertisingmanagerofthestudentrunnewspaperLouisvilleCardinaldecided
nottorunthereadymaderesearchpapersadvertisementonthenewspaper.Atleastoneof
thenewspaperadvisordisagreedwiththerejectionbecausetheyworriedthatitwouldbethe
beginningofanadvertisingcensorship.
2. Relevantfacts
Thenewspaperisastudentrunindependentnewspaperoftheuniversitythatthe
newspaperadvisorsdonotprohibitthenewspaperfromrunninganyquestionable
advertisements.Moreover,thenewspaperhadruntheadvertisementweeklyforyears.The
advertisementurgesstudentstosendtwodollartothecompanyortocallthetollfreehotline
foracatalogofreadymaderesearchpapers.Rejectingtheadvertisementleadstoalostof
$111.36revenueofthenewspaperforweeklyadvertisementspaceforayearfromtheready
maderesearchcompany.Thenewspaperstaff,includingtheadvertisingmanagerlosestheir
commissionfromrejectingtheadvertisement.Somenewspaperadvisorsconcernaboutthe
rejectionwouldbecomethestartofanadvertisementcensorship.Thenewspaperdonotrun
anyadvertisementsthatdeceiveorencourageothertodeceiveandithasonlyrefusedtorun
thisonesingleadvertisement.
3. Claimants
Theclaimantsinthisissueincludestudents,thereadymaderesearchcompany,the
newspaperitself,theadvertisingmanager,newspapersadvisors,theuniversity,andthe
community.

Studentsarethemajorityofthenewspaperreader.Theyexpectthenewspaperto
providevaluableinformationtothem.Althoughweshouldntjudgetheirintegrity,runninga
readymaderesearchpaperadvertisementwillgivethemaccesstoimmoralactivities.The
newspapershouldhelpmaintaingoodmoralstandardofstudents.
Fromtheclientspointofview,thenewspaperhastheobligationtorunthe
advertisementoncethecompanyhaspaidforitandifithasspace.Thenewspaperhasrunthe
advertisementforyearsthatitdidntrejecttheadvertisementbefore.Thismayhavegiventhe
clientanimpressionthattheadwassuitabletoberunonthenewspaper.
Thenewspaperitselfprovidesvaluableinformationtostudents.Itconcernsabout
studentshonestythatitdoesnotacceptanyadvertisementsthatencouragepeopletodeceive.
Theadvertisingmanagerhastheobligationtomaintaintheprofitofnewspaperfrom
advertisingrevenue.Itisalsoherobligationtocheckthecontentofadvertisementsrunonthe
newspapertomakesuretheycomplywiththenewspapersethicalpolicies.
Thenewspapersadvisorshavetherighttocheckthepressfreedomofthenewspaper.
Theythinktheadvertisingmanagershouldnotactascensorandholdeditorialjudgmenton
advertisements.Theythinkthatthenewspapershouldnotrejectanyadvertisements.
TheUniversityhastheobligationtoteachstudentstobeethical.Itemphasizeson
studentshonestyandintegritythattheyhopetheirstudentstobehonestandnottobuy
readymaderesearchpaper.1
Tothecommunity,whichincludesthosewhodonotfitintoabovecategories,
universitynewspaperarticlesandadvertisementsshouldcomplywithmoralstandardsand
encouragestudentstobeethical.Theyhavetherighttocheckthemoralstandardofthe
studentssincethestudentscomposemajorityofthesociety.Thecommunityhashigh
expectationonthem.
4. Alternativecoursesofaction

1 University of Louisville. (2008). Ethically Conduct Teaching and

Research. University of Louisville Institutional Compliance. Retrieved Mar
3, 2014 from http://louisville.edu/compliance/Code

Therearefouralternativecoursesofactiononthisissue:continuetorejectthe
advertisementandexplainthedecisiontostudents,runtheadvertisement,runthe
advertisementbutwitheditedwordings,andruntheadvertisementbutinsmallspaceonthe
newspaper.
Thebestcasescenarioofcontinuingrejectingtheadvertisementisthatthisoption
complieswithuniversitysethicalpoliciesandstudentsmoralstandardisnottested.By
explainingthedecisiontostudents,thenewspaperissaidtobetransparent.Theworstcase
scenarioisthatthenewspapersreputationisdamagedbecauseoftheadvertisingcensorship.
Newspaperrevenuefromadvertisingisthereforedecreased.
Thebestcasescenarioofrunningtheadvertisementisthatthenewspaperisnot
judgedtohavecensoredadvertisementsandnewspaperrevenueisnotaffectedthatithas
stableincome.Theworstcaseisthatmorestudentsorderreadymaderesearchpaperbecause
oftheadvertisementsthattheirmoralstandarddecreased.
Thebestcasescenarioofrunningtheeditedwordingsadvertisementisthatthe
newspapersreputationisnotdamagedandfewerstudentsnoticetheadvertisement.
Studentsmoralstandardisnottestedeasily.Theworstcaseofitisthatthereadymade
researchpapercompanyfeelsbeingbetrayedanddoesnotwanttocontinueruntheir
advertisementonthenewspaper.Newspaperrevenuewilldecrease.
Thebestcasescenarioofrunningtheadvertisementinsmallspaceisthatfewer
studentsnoticetheadvertisementandfewerstudentsordertheirproducts,butthenewspaper
stillhasstableincome.Theworstcaseisthatcompanydoesnotwanttocontinuerunningthe
advertisementonthenewspaper.
Harm:
Anyactionwillcausesomeharmtosomeparty,indifferentdegrees.Newspaperloses
revenueandstafflosescommissioniftheyrejectrunningthead.Ontheotherhand,
newspaperlosesitsreputationandclientisupsetiftheadvertisementisrejected.Thereisno

alternativethatdoesntcauseharmtoanyparty.
Ideals:

Therearedifferentidealsfordifferentpartyinthiscase.Totheclientandadvisors,

theycareaboutnewspapersfreedomfromcensorship.Theclientswanttoensuretheirprofit,
andtheadvisorswanttomakesurethenewspaperisnotrunningcensorshipcampaign.To
students,theycareabouttheirfreedomofchoice.Theyhavetherighttochoosewhattoread
onthenewspaperandtodecidetheiractions.Theydonotwanttobecontrolled.Tothe
universityandparents,theyconcernaboutifthenewspaperrespectstheethicalprinciples.
Conflictingideals:
Althoughdifferentpartieswanttoensuretheiridealsbeingupheld,differentideals
conflictwitheachother.Thefreedomfromcensorshipismostlikelyagainsttheethical
principlesthatareupheldbytheuniversitiesandcommunity.Toensurenewspapers
advertisementscomplywithuniversityethicalprinciples,advertisingmanagerneedstocheck
thenewspaperandtakeoutsensitiveadvertisementsfromit.Also,studentsfreedomof
choiceonnewspapercontent,includingadvertisementsisviolatedifnewspaperhonorsthe
ethicalprinciple.Themajorityofthecommunitymostlikelysupportsthenewspapers
decisiononupholdingethicalprinciple,despitesomedisagreementswithinthesociety,such
astheadvisorsandclientswhomupholdfreedomfromcensorship.
Rules:
TheInternationalChartersEthicalAdvertisingStandard405article4statesthat
advertisementsshouldnotencouragepeopletodounlawfulthings.2Thereadymaderesearch
paperadvertisementencouragesstudentstopurchaseresearchpaperwrittenbyothers,and
turntheminasstudentsownwork.Claimingotherpeopleworkasonesoriginalworkis
plagiarism.Theadvertisementisencouragingpeopletoplagiarize,whichisunlawful.
2 International Charter. (2012). Social Responsibility. EAS-405- Ethical
Advertising Standard. Retrieved Mar 5 2014 from
http://www.icharter.org/standards/eas405/index.html

5. Ethicalguidelines
Therearethreetypesofethicalguidelineonecanusetoexaminetheconsequenceof
onesaction.TheyareMillsprinciple,KantsprincipleandAristotlesprinciple.
Millsharmprinciplesuggeststhatapersonslibertymightberestrainedtoprevent
harmanactionwouldbedonetoothers.3Inthiscase,rejectingtheadistopreventdamages
onstudentsintegritybytheadvertisement.Studentsarestilllearningtobepeoplewith
integrity.Theymightnotbeabletomakeperfectjudgmentatthemoment.
Millalsoasksiftheintentofonesdecisionmakingisbasedonegoism,thatone
makesthedecisionforonesownbenefit.Iftheadvertisingmanagerwantstogetbenefitsfor
thenewspaperandforherself,sheshouldruntheadvertisementsinceitcouldkeepthe
newspaperrevenuestableandavoidadvertisingcensorship.However,oneshouldnotforget
theadvertisingmanagerandnewspaperstaffisalsopartofthesociety.Theyshouldmakethe
bestdecisionforthesocietytoo.Ifthenewspaperrunstheadvertisement,studentsmight
thinkthenewspaperrationalizestudentsbuyingreadymaderesearchpaper.Althoughitisan
independentstudentrunnewspaper,itsstaffandadvisorsarepartoftheUniversity.Continue
toruntheadvertisementmayhavebadinfluencetothestudents.Therefore,thatmaynotbe
thebestdecision.
Excepttheharmprinciple,Millalsostressedonthegoodnessofconsequencesofan
act.Hesuggestedthegreatestgoodforthegreatestnumber.4Thatmeans,onesdecision
shouldbeabletobringgoodtothesociety.5Inthiscase,themajoritypartyisthestudent
3 Bivins, T. (2009). Mixed Media : Moral Distinctions in Advertising, Public
Relations, and Journalism. New York, NY: Routledge. 94
4 Christians, C. G. (2007). Utilitarianism in Media Ethics and Its
Discontents. Journal Of Mass Media Ethics, 22(2/3), 114.
doi:10.1080/08900520701315640
5 Elliott D. (2007) Getting Mill Right, Journal of Mass Media Ethics:
Exploring Questions of Media Morality,22:2-3, 100, DOI:
10.1080/08900520701315806

body.Theymakeuplargeproportionofthesociety.Theyarethepassivemajoritywhilethe
newspaperandtheclientareactiveminorityinthiscase.Whatisharmfultostudentsis
harmfultothesociety.Underprincipleofutilitarianism,thebestchoiceisnottorunthe
advertisement.
Kantsmoralmodelsuggeststhatoneshouldrespectothersandtoseektoadvancethe
interestsofothersandworkonbehalfoftheirhappiness.Thisimpliesthatthedecisionone
makesshouldbeabletodogoodstoothers.6Theadvertisingmanagershouldstrivetodo
goodforothers,includingstudents,clients,andthesocietyasawhole.Onemustremember
thereadymaderesearchcompanyisalsoonepartyinthesociety.UnderKantsmodel,
rejectingtheadvertisementlowersstudentsaccesstounlawfulactivities.Studentsintegrity
willnotbetestedeasily.However,rejectingtheadvertisementwillleadtodamageof
studentsfreedomofchoiceanddecreasenewspapersincome.
Kantsmodelalsoasksifonesintentoftheeactionfreefromonesprivateinterestor
benefits.7Inthiscase,rejectingtheadvertisementdoesnotbringanyprivatebenefitstothe
advertisingmanagerorthenewspaperitself.Themanagermakesthisdecisionforthebenefits
ofthestudents.Shealsoshowsrespecttoclientsandstaffthatshehasexplainedherdecision
tothemclearlyandpolitely.
Lastly,Aristotlegoldenmeansuggeststhatvirtuousactliesbetweenextremes.The
middlegroundinthiscaseistopartiallyrunningtheadvertisement.However,partially
runningtheadvertisementisstillviolatingtheEthicalAdvertisingStandard.Itisstill
encouragingpeopletodounlawfulthings.Therefore,thegoldenmeanprincipleisnotfully
applicableinthiscase.

6 Bivins, T. H. (2004). Mixed Media : Moral Distinctions in Advertising,

Public Relations, and Journalism. Mahwah, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates. 87.
7 ibid.

Aristotlealsostatesthatoneshouldchoosetherightactionoutofonesintentto
choosetheright.8Itisnotabouttheconsequenceoftheaction.Theadvertisingmanager
choosesnottoruntheadvertisementoutofstudentsbenefits.Heractionisrationalized.
6. Decision
Iwillcontinuerejecttoruntheadvertisementandwriteanoticeexplainingthe
decisiononremovingtheadvertisementonthenewspaper.Iwillexplainclearlymy
reasoningtoanyonewhohasquestionsaboutmydecision.
7. Defense
Tothenewspapersadvisorandclient,rejectingrunninganadvertisementisa
violationofpressfreedom,andoneisholdingadvertisingcensorship.Thismayappliesto
majornewspaperinthesociety.However,theLouisvilleCardinalistheonlystudentrun
newspaperoftheuniversity,whileourreadersaremostlycollegestudents.Thereareagreat
numberoftheminthesociety.Wearetoprovideinformationtothem,andwecareabout
whatmessageisbroughttothemwhentheyread.Theyreadthenewspaperandtheyare
influencedbyitscontent.Asanadvertisingmanager,Ihavetomakesuretheadvertisements
weruncomplywiththeuniversityethicalprinciplethatwedonotencouragestudentstodo
unlawfulactivities.Explainingmydecisiononthenewspapercanincreasenewspapers
transparencyandrespectthestudents,advisorsandthereadymaderesearchpapercompany.
Thereishighpossibilitythatthestudentswillseetheadvertisementsandbuytheproducts.
Therefore,Ithinkthebestchoiceisnottoruntheadvertisement.

8 Cunningham. B. S. (1999) Getting It Right: Aristotle's "GoldenMean" as

Theory Deterioration, Journal of Mass Media Ethics: Exploring Questions of
Media Morality, 14:1, 8, DOI: 10.1207/S15327728JM140101