Class Ethics and Communication Law

This curricular unit, divided into three programmatic nuclei, aims to address some aspects of classical ethics’ problems and their development on nowadays societies, on a broad sense and on a specific communicational aspect.  This will cover several dimensions of contemporary communicational reality, analyzed from the point of view of the ethical practices required on a deontological, axiological or methodological nature. It is also intended to deepen the sense of social responsibility inherent in the professions and media activities. The third part addresses the juridical questions on the specific matters of Portuguese communication’s regulation. On the overall sense, the UC is critical to the future development of the studies on Communication Sciences and to the further student’s professional life.

Not applicable

. 1. Ethics 1.1. Ethics and Moral 1.2 Deontology and Axiology 1.3. Origin of Ethics in the Platonic Dialogues 1.4. Ethical Structures: Teleological; deontological; Consequentialists. 1.5. From Virtues to Imperatives (Aristotle and Kant) 1.5. Ethical Currents: The Ethics of Virtues; Contractualism; Utilitarianism; Communitarianism. 1.5. Ethics and contemporaneity (Tension asceticism/hedonism). Practical Ethics. 1.6. Emotivism; Ethical Egoism; Moral Blindness. 1.7. Problems in Ethics and Communication. The sensory borderline. 1.8. Inform, Entertain and Info-entertain. 1.9. From deontology to ethics in informational mediation   2. The Right and the Laws 2.1. The Law and the Communication’s Regulation. 2.2. Fundamental aspects of the legal regulation of the action of the Portuguese Media (Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising).

Students are encouraged to carry out their own research into ethical and deontological problems throughout the semester. The final assessment is made up of the submission via moodle of the final written version of a paper (maximum length 5 pp. of text, Times New Roman 12, 1.5 spaces), individually or in a group of no more than three people, followed by the public defence of the paper corresponding to 40% of the classification. The remaining 20 per cent corresponds to the quality of attendance and participation in class. Submission of work after the deadline will only be possible if authorised by the lecturer and implies a penalty of 25% in the work grade if submitted up to 24 hours after the deadline and 50% in the work grade if submitted between 24 and 72 hours after the deadline; work submitted more than 72 hours late will not be accepted.  

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