Philosophy and the Public April 28 Features Zac Gershberg

The Department of English and Philosophy is pleased to announce the next installment of the Philosophy for the Public lecture series. Dr. Zac Greshberg, an assistant professor in ISU’s Communication, Media, and Persuasion Department, will present “A Rethinking of Journalism Ethics, with the Help of Philosophy.” The lecture will be held Thursday, April 28 at 7 p.m. in the Marshall Public Library.

Within media studies education and research, journalism ethics are typically distinguished between two frameworks: the deontological perspective, which privileges the duty or commitment of a reporter to the hallmarks of journalism practice, and the consequentialist or teleological perspective, which focuses on the results or effects of journalism. This presentation seeks to dislodge such binary thinking and explore new philosophical perspectives on journalism ethics, advancing cosmopolitanism as a worthy perspective to adopt. It also suggests that the decisions facing journalists afford a productive, rich space to apply the ideas of philosophy. Located at the nexus of theory and practice, then, journalism, it will be argued, requires serious, if not practical, philosophical thinking.

Dr. Zac Gershberg earned a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University, writing a dissertation on existentialist communication and media. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated and Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, among other publications, and he recently published a chapter on journalism ethics over the course of American history in the 2015 book, Debates for the Digital Age.

The event is free of charge and the public is encouraged to attend and to participate in the Q&A session following the lecture. Please contact the Department of English and Philosophy at 208 241 2478 with any questions.