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Lessons in Developing aPersonal Ethical StandardLee Anne Peck aa School of Communication, University of NorthernColoradoPublished online: 05 Nov 2010.

To cite this article: Lee Anne Peck (2010) Lessons in Developing a Personal EthicalStandard, Journal of Mass Media Ethics: Exploring Questions of Media Morality, 25:4,331-333, DOI: 10.1080/08900523.2010.519307

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In the end, though, and with the help of Fackler’s postscript, which is

addressed to students, I left Ethics and Evil feeling energized to continue trying

to do work that matters. Fackler reminds readers that the authors included in thiscollection are doing just that: from negotiating peace treaties to training media

practitioners in the most remote and often dangerous parts of the world. Fackler

challenges readers to join the authors of Ethics and Evil “in the circle and make

our words more applicable, more productive and more filled with potential for

human prosperity than they currently are” (p. 349). If even some readers takeup this challenge, we will all reap the benefits.

Tompkins, P. S. (2011). Practicing communication ethics: Development, dis-

cernment, and decision making. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. 264 pp., $61.80 (Pbk).

Lessons in Developing a Personal Ethical Standard

A Review by Lee Anne PeckSchool of Communication

University of Northern Colorado

Practicing Communication Ethics, a well-sourced book written for undergrad-

uate communication students, promotes developing a personal ethical standard

for human communication. Author Paula S. Tompkins, a communication studies

professor from St. Cloud State University, believes that communication ethicsconcerns everyday dealings with one’s family, friends, and work colleagues

and, therefore, ultimately affects everyone’s quality of life (p. vii). The book

moves readers from considerations of how one develops ethical values to how

one reflects and reasons about ethical communication and finally to how one

uses that communication—if at all. The book’s 10 chapters, dense with theories,

concepts, and definitions, are separated into three parts: Developing a Practice ofCommunication Ethics, Applying Ethical Theories to Human Communication,

and Three Contexts of Ethical Communication Practice.

Each chapter opens with a case, usually hypothetical, that focuses on a

student-based communication dilemma. This should draw students into the ma-

terial quickly, as many of them will have been in a similar situation and cancontemplate how they acted or might have acted. Throughout each chapter,

Tompkins reflects back on the opening scenario, keeping students interested

while introducing new terms and their explanations. The end of each chapter

includes a list of vocabulary from the chapter, individual and class writing

activities, and cases for discussion. Some chapters have breakout boxes withsupplemental material or synopses of movies and other popular works (e.g.,

Harry Potter) that feature communication ethics dilemmas.

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332 BOOK REVIEWS

Beginning in the first chapter, Tompkins stresses that ethics is “the study and

practice of what is good, right, or virtuous” (p. 3). She continues to use the phrase

“good, right, or virtuous” regularly throughout the book—almost to the point ofbeing insufferable. Isn’t virtuous behavior good and righteous? Perhaps it would

help students if the author had used one word—virtuous—thus avoiding some

confusion and exasperation. In chapter 2, Tompkins uses Lawrence Kohlberg and

Carol Gilligan to cover how one begins to develop a personal ethical standard;

she also poses questions about a student’s values and principles, although thesetopics have yet to be discussed. Therefore, students may not be able to evaluate

their own ethical standards as requested in the chapter. This problem illustrates

a larger concern with the book: It does not progress in a logical order and may

frustrate students. To mitigate this, an instructor may need to assign the book

out of order.

In chapter 3, Tompkins introduces five steps to help students with “mindfulethical reasoning” (p. 63), which she defines as “a problem-solving process of

searching for the most ethically fitting way to act in a situation” (p. 47). Steps

include (1) recognize the ethical issue, (2) get the facts about the situation,

(3), think about alternative responses, (4), evaluate alternatives from different

points of view, and (5) act, then reflect on your decision (pp. 47–60). Whilethe five steps are useful, I think reflecting on a decision should come before

acting. This reflection provides the all-important step of making sure there is

a strong justification for action before that action is taken. In addition, the five

steps are presented relatively early in the text and lead readers to believe that

those steps will be used regularly throughout the rest of the book. This is notthe case.

In chapter 4, Tompkins focuses on five values she finds important to com-

munication ethics: truth, justice, freedom, care, and integrity (p. 68). These are

explained using a variety of means, including philosophers and their theories. To

understand the value of truth, for example, the author uses concepts from Plato,

Kant (whose categorical imperative could be better explained), and Sissela Bok.For justice, Tompkins provides definitions for different types of justice but gives

John Rawls and his veil of ignorance only a brief mention in a breakout box,

which seems mistaken. For care, students are introduced to Nel Noddings’ theory

with a note that a later chapter will discuss the theory in more detail; this also

does not happen. A larger issue, however, is that the values discussion shouldcome earlier, so those values can be integrated into the five-step deliberation

process.

Chapter 6 offers readers “traditional approaches to ethical theory” (p. 117)

and begins with a scenario featuring a 19-year-old who has received a hand-

knitted sweater in his school colors from his grandmother. The problem is thathe does not like the sweater. According to Tompkins’s reading of Kant, the

philosopher would require the young man to tell his grandmother he dislikes

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the sweater because everyone must always tell the truth. This, however, is an

overly simplistic understanding of Kant. In his lecture notes, Kant says one

must choose the stronger duty—and, in this case, that duty might not be tellingthe truth. Tompkins does discuss universalizability in decision making, but the

example of poor grandma seems a bit shallow; this particular case may be more

about etiquette—being nice to your grandma—than about ethics. In addition,

Tompkins’s discussion of Aristotle does not get the doctrine quite right. She says

that once you know the mean for a virtue, you know how to act (p. 118). ForAristotle, however, the moral virtues must be lived; communicators must become

“good,” and morality is a continuing endeavor where one does not always know

how to act. Finally, for utilitarianism, the author’s explanation of the differences

between Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill are not satisfactory. Mill goes

beyond “the greatest good for the greatest number,” obligating us to consider not

only the quantity of our actions but the quality as well. In Tompkin’s explanation,this is not clear.

In chapter 7, Tompkins offers contemporary alternatives to traditional ethical

theories through discussions of postmodernism, dialogical ethics, and ethical

care. She spends 10 pages on postmodernism and gives readers a good overview

of the approach via a discussion of Emmanuel Levinas and Richard Rorty. MartinBuber and Richard Johannesen represent dialogical ethics. For care, a quick nod

is once again given to Noddings and Gilligan.

The third part of the book covers Communication Ethics and Community,

Communication Ethics and Intercultural Communication, and Communication

Ethics and Digital Communication. The final chapter on digital communicationis both interesting and necessary. Missing, however, is a concluding chapter—

something that says to students, “Now that you have learned all of this, let’s

tie it all together.” The book should end by asking students to reflect on what

the book aims to do by posing the question: Can you now create your personal

ethical standard?

Santos, J. (2009). Daring to feel: Violence, the news media and their emotions.

Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. 91 pp., $22.95 (Pbk).

The Case for More Human Reporting

A Review by Jack Breslin

Department of Mass Communication

Iona College

On the final day of the 2010 annual conference of the Association for Educa-

tion in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in Denver, two veteran

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