Download Notes on Moral Claimants - Media Ethics | J 397 and more Study notes Communication in PDF only on Docsity! Moral Claimants Those who have some stake in our decisions. They are affected by what we do or say. In the media, these include employers, clients, and various “third parties.” What we owe to others William David Ross’s “Prima Facie” duties of obligation 1. Duties of fidelity are based on your prior acts. • For example, if you promise (explicitly or implicitly) to do something or to abstain from doing something, then you are obliged to either do it or to abstain from doing it. • Also included under fidelity is the duty of reparation. o If you perform a wrong action with respect to another person, then you are obliged to “undo” the wrong. 2. Duties of gratitude are based on the acts of other people toward you. • For example, if any person performs some service (or favor) for you, then you have some obligation to the person who performed the favor. • Gratitude applies to relationships between friends, relatives, or employer/employee (among others) . 3. Duties of justice are based on the need to distribute goods in accordance with the merits of the people concerned. • For example, if any person deserves something based on merit, and you can give them what they deserve (or prevent them getting it if they don’t deserve it), then you are obliged to do so. 4. Duties of beneficence are based on the fact that there are other people in the world whose lot in life we can improve. • For example, if you can make some person better with respect to their lot in life, then you are obliged to do so. 5. Duties of self-improvement are based on the fact that we should not neglect to improve our own condition in life. • In other words, if you can make yourself better with respect to your own condition, then you should do so. 6. Duties of non-injury are duties of not injuring others. • If you are in a position to avoid or prevent hurting someone, then you are obliged to avoid or prevent injury. The Linkage Concept We are linked to constituents by consequences. We affect them in some way, or they affect us, or both. Providers—provide the authority and control the resources that enable the organization
