A Quantitative Study of Student Receptivity to Double-Effect Reasoning as an Ethical Framework for Journalism

This thesis examines the receptivity of undergraduate journalism students to the application of an ethical framework known as double-effect reasoning to moral issues and dilemmas that they will encounter in their journalism studies and work. The purpose is to see by year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) and by area of emphasis (news, public relations, advertising) which students are the most receptive to the framework. After exploring different ethical theories used in mass communication, I examine in detail the doctrine of double effect. I also explain my method and my results. Although it is true that students in general held double-effect reasoning in positive regard as a useful moral framework, neither the year nor the area of emphasis of students revealed itself as being correlated with such regard. I speculate as to why this is the case and suggest ways the study could be improved for future scholars possibly interested in pursuing a replication of my project