Teaching Journalism Ethics Through “The Newsroom”: An Enhanced Learning Experience

Abstract

As documented in multiple fields, students taking ethics courses can benefit from alternative pedagogical approaches using television shows for learning. This article explores the journalistic ethics conflicts depicted in the first season of the HBO show “The Newsroom.” These conflicts, brought to life through vivid and realistic storytelling, enable students to experience how ethical decisions affect a newsroom and the audience it serves. This is a form of screen narrative ethnography (SNE) that provides journalism instructors additional classroom resources and that creates an innovative, rich learning experience for students.

Exploring How the Newsroom Shapes Chinese Viewers’ Perception of Journalism

“…Some of the specific topics of journalism the authors mention that could be taught using The Newsroom are ethics, journalist practice, and diversity [4]. According to this study, The Newsroom could serve as a medium to educate and teach [4].…”

“…The authors cite the idea of ethnography that TV series that are set in a certain workplace could present college students a near-realistic experience that would help them to learn [4]. Some of the specific topics of journalism the authors mention that could be taught using The Newsroom are ethics, journalist practice, and diversity [4]. According to this study, The Newsroom could serve as a medium to educate and teach [4].…”

“…Besides the study by Peters which presents the general public's views towards The Newsroom, another study by Peterlin and Peters points out that TV series like The Newsroom could serve the purpose of education [4]. The authors cite the idea of ethnography that TV series that are set in a certain workplace could present college students a near-realistic experience that would help them to learn [4]. Some of the specific topics of journalism the authors mention that could be taught using The Newsroom are ethics, journalist practice, and diversity [4].…”

“…Building on the Peterlin and Peters (2019) research, one theory that they mentioned in the study is cultivation theory [4]. Put forth by Gerbner (1998), the theory is about that exposure to television would make the viewers think that television portrays real life [1].…”

“…Among the existed research regarding The Newsroom and its influence on the viewers, most of them focused on Western viewers' reviews. The studies show that The Newsroom shaped the viewers' notion of the news media and journalism in some way and that the show can have a real-life impact on education as well [3] [4]. The proposed study in this paper aims to focus on the influence of the show on viewers in China, specifically focusing on the potential influences it has on Chinese viewers with regard to their news-viewing habits and their perceived notion of news and journalism industry in America.…”