ABSTRACT
The opposing ideals of professional autonomy and societal obligation can, and frequently do, clash during the process of moral decision making. This chapter presents a synthesis of these ideas and philosophies into a working model for decision making. The checklist approach to moral decision making has been developed over years of experimenting with both students and professionals. Any moral decision-making process worth its salt must allow for three things: reflection, justification, and consistency. Applying ethical thought to the mass media decision-making process requires two vital components: a rudimentary grounding in the relevant ethical theories, and a structured approach to analyzing the issues on a case-by-case basis. Decision making can more easily become a part of our lives if it is the product of a structured method of analysis focusing on the things we all have in common and viewed in the light of the relevant ethical theories.
