This timely guide examines the influence of social media in private, public, and professional settings, particularly the ethical implications of the cultural changes and trends created by their use.
In the quest for quick dissemination of information, web users and content providers find both opportunity and liability in digital broadcasts. Examples abound: Twitter members tap into news reports well in advance of traditional print media, but stories are prone to inaccuracies and misinformation; Facebook shares useful data mined from member profiles, but this sharing often compromises privacy. It is no surprise that use of social media gives rise to a host of moral dilemmas never before encountered. This book sheds light on the effects of this new medium on the individual and society.
Through two volumes chock full of topics found in news headlines everyday, the authors look at evolving trends in social media and their impact on privacy, politics, and journalism. The first volume explores the role of this technology on national and international security. Volume 2 focuses on the individual as both a producer and consumer of internet content, showing how the media itself is changing notions of self-identity, relationships, and popular culture. The book’s content covers such topics as individual and community psychology, citizen journalism, and corporate technology.
Features
- Features expert contributors from different academic backgrounds to provide varied perspectives
- Integrates theoretical analysis with practical solutions to stimulate critical thinking while engaging interest
- Includes practical guidelines for navigating a changing media environment
- Reveals how ancient Chinese philosophies can provide a framework for ethics in social and new media
- Provides helpful criteria for working responsibly with social networking sites
Bala A. Musa, PhD, is professor and chair of communication studies at Azusa Pacific University and serves on the governing boards for several nonprofit organizations. He is a recent recipient of the Clifford G. Christians Ethics Research Award from the Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research, among other distinctions. His published works include Framing Genocide: Media, Diplomacy And Conflict Transformation; Emerging Issues in Contemporary Journalism: Infotainment, Internet, Libel, Censorship, Et Cetera; and Communication in an Era of Global Conflicts: Principles and Strategies for 21st Century Africa. Musa holds a doctorate in mass communication from Regent University.
Jim Willis, PhD, is professor of journalism at Azusa Pacific University. He is a veteran news reporter and editor, formerly with The Dallas Morning News and The Daily Oklahoman, and has lectured for the U.S. State Department on topics regarding American journalism. His published works include the Praeger titles The Media Effect: How the News Influences Politics and Government and The Human Journalist: Reporters, and Perspectives, and Emotions as well as Greenwood's 100 Media Moments that Changed America. Willis holds a doctorate in journalism from the University of Missouri.
Reviews
"This is a wonderful anthology, full of detail and discussion about some of the most troublesome aspects of new media. Whether we are willing to accept it or not, the arrival of social media via Web 2.0 has upset the apple carts of journalism, accuracy, truth, and representation of the human condition. These two volumes contain some of the best scholarship on these issues that I have yet read. The essays themselves are eminently readable, largely devoid of jargon, yet insightful and compelling. Students will love to read them and faculty will be provided with many germane issues to consider in preparing their syllabi for courses in media ethics, new technologies, social media, or sociology of media courses. I recommend these volumes most highly."—Robert S. Fortner, Research Scholar, Institute of Communications, University of Illinois, and Visiting Professor of Communication, Hope College
"Very timely and wide-ranging in scope, Musa and Willis have succeeded in providing an extremely useful collection of essays on the growing global importance of social media."—Daya Thussu, Professor of International Communication, University of Westminster, London
"I strongly recommend and endorse these two impressive volumes that deal with contemporary ethical communication issues. This hi-tech age in which we are living tends to diminish not only issues like civility in politics but also in many other aspects of human communication. The strength of this research is not only to identify some of these issues but to offer insightful solutions to improve the ethical aspects and effectiveness of interpersonal communication." —David C. Bicker, PhD, Professor Emeritus & Founding Chair, Department of Communication Studies, Azusa Pacific University
