The ethics of mediated and direct, mass and personal communications in a globalizing world

What is it about?

This chapter explores the global ramifications of media ethics and various moral conditions of globalization regarding information and communication. Globalization is considered in economic, political, social and cultural terms. All four dimensions manifest profound recent changes in forms and modes of communication, through electronic and digital media and archives, increasingly important economies of scale, concentration of ownership and control, spread of nation-state democracy amid trans- and de-nationalizations of power (with a concomitant net loss of democracy worldwide), old and new imperial expansions, as well as enhanced knowledge, research, connectivity, cooperation, cosmopolitanism and cultural diversity potential. The actual trend in cultural diversity, however, is bleak. Unless communications become more inclusive, the vast majority of languages and cultures will soon become extinct. A concrete realization of global citizenship could reverse current destructive developments, especially by means of global media ethics values, such as the maximization of communicative self-regulation upholding freedoms of expression and information (about public affairs), the equality of individual communicators, net neutrality, and a principled commitment to human rights, bio- and cultural diversity. However, these “proto-norms” only marginally overlap with – and sometimes contradict – the currently dominant, capitalistic regulatory framework for the global markets. The chapter also includes a “Further Reading” section with an annotated overview of research in the field.

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Why is it important?

It is important to consider communication ethics in global contexts, from the child slaves in coltan mines in central Africa today, over the data mountains of and on billions of media users, to the media movers and shakers in the North Atlantic zone, the most powerful and wealthy individuals, organizations and states in history. It is crucial for an understanding of legislation what norms and values are involved, and what alternatives are (still) available for fairer and more principled regulation of communication. The Internet is a global medium and national (or EU) regulations are never going to be enough to regulate it efficiently or justly.

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