We all have read satirical cartoons either on the internet or in print. They can either be very funny or very offensive depending on our beliefs. We all know of the recent terrorist attack in France against the newspaper Charlie Hebdo. These attacks were carried out in retaliation for printing images of the Muslim prophet Muhammed. Almost all major U.S. news outlets refuse to show the cartoons Charlie Hebdo published so as not to offend Muslims. The ethical problem is that these same media outlets have no problem showing cartoons or printing articles that are offensive to Christians, Jews, or any other religious group.
What is the media's ethical obligation to a particular group of people? Should they pick and choose who they will offend or should they offend no one? If they choose to offend no one they will have a limited amount of material that they can publish. Is that what free media stands for? The decision to not publish these cartoons has very little to do with ethical standards and a lot to do with cowardice. They are afraid of retribution. They will continue to publish cartoons mocking other religions because it is safe to do so.
I love the right to freedom of speech. I think it is an integral part of our culture and I would rather have someone say something that I don't agree with than not be able to say it at all. I believe that limiting criticism and offensive images against one religious group, but not all, is unethical. I don't care what a media outlet's policy is on ethics, but it needs to be applied equally.
Byers, D. (2015, January 14). Does free media have an obligation to Islam? Politico. Retrieved from
http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/01/does-free-media-have-an-obligation-to- islam-201064.html
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