News Ethics

Using the 'Holocaust' Metaphor

Ingrid Newkirk, the CEO of PETA, launched a campaign called "Holocaust on Your Plate", which released images of an animal slaughterhouse compared to the concentration camps from the Holocaust.  Ingrid and the campaign run by PETA claim that they are protected by their freedom of speech. Because of these recent photos, there has been controversy over if this campaign is ethically wrong, despite the campaign's freedom to release these photos.

In my opinion, "Holocaust on Your Plate" is ethically wrong. I understand where PETA is coming from, and this would have been a truthful comparison if they had compared it to something not as big as the Holocaust. Yes, they were trying to make a point, and they certainly shocked people, but a topic as intense as the Holocaust should not be compared to animal slaughterhouses, despite the slight correlation.

The Media's Foul Ball

During a Chicago Cubs Baseball game, a fan tried to catch a foul ball, preventing the outfielder from catching the baseball. Immediately after, he was taken out of the game after bring threatened by other fans, who claimed that the man was the reason that the Cubs didn't go to the World Series. Then, a Chicago Sun Times reporter revealed the man's name, saying that he was doing nothing morally wrong by releasing the information to the public.

In my opinion, I don't feel like the fan's identity should have been released to the public. Even without anyone knowing his name at the time of the incident, he had to be taken out of the game after he was threatened by other Cub's fans. He was already in danger even being an anonymous fan. That is his life, yes, he made a mistake, but he shouldn't be severely punished for it.

Publishing Drunk Drivers' Photos

Starting in the new year of 1998, the Anderson Newspaper decided that they would publish drunk drivers that were convicted of drinking and driving in their newspaper. This was started as an attempt to reduce the amount of drunk drivers on the road. Shortly after, many local residents were calling the publisher, pleading that their pictures wouldn't be published in the paper. There has been controversy whether this is appropriate for a newspaper to publish publicly.

In my opinion, I can see where the newspaper is coming from, publishing drivers' names to make a statement. However, I don't think that this is the right way to convince people. In one incident, someone even tried to commit suicide after realizing that his name was going to be in the newspaper. Therefore, I don't think that people should feel the need to risk their lives in order for a paper to make a point.