ABSTRACT
Feminist ethics goes beyond correcting male-centered theories that marginalize women’s moral thinking and deauthorize women as moral agents. As does feminism, feminist ethics addresses how people can live together in healthy, productive ways; both feminists and feminist ethicists urge interventions that undo oppression of all kinds, not only sexism but also oppression because of race, class, sexuality, and (dis)ability. Although traditional ethicists rarely address media issues, this chapter derives a feminist approach to professional media ethics from key feminist ethics theories, especially the ethics of care; and from feminist standpoint epistemology, with its critiques of researcher-subject relationships and of objectivity. It discusses the relevance to journalists of a (reconstructed) caring for strangers and communities. Moreover, feminist standpoint epistemology urges both journalists and media researchers to be modest about their knowledge claims. Feminist media ethics requires sensitivity to concerns with news and entertainment representations; and complaints about work-place discrimination.
