Media Ethics

2025/2026

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

Delivered at:

Department of Media

Course type:

Compulsory course

When:

2 year, 2 module

Instructor

Tyurkin, Mikhail

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course “Media Ethics” will cover relevant discussions in the fields of media philosophy, media anthropology and media cultural studies and introduce the students to the complex and evolving landscape of ethical considerations in the realms of traditional and new media. These include journalism, public relations, advertising, blogging, SMM, design, photography, etc. Particular emphasis will be placed on the impact of current technological achievements (digitalization, AI, neural networks, VR and AR) as well as soсial trends and movements (the so-called ‘new ethics’, ‘cancel culture’, BLM, #MeToo) on the moral aspects of the functioning of the contemporary media industry. The students will be given insights into ethical dilemmas faced by media practitioners when dealing with fake news, misinformation, privacy concerns, conflicts of interest, coverage of military conflicts and moral feelings of various social groups. They will examine case studies and real-world examples to critically analyze the moral decisions made by media professionals. By the end of the course, students will get a deeper understanding of the importance of ethical standards and develop the skills to navigate moral challenges in their own media activities.