Ethics

A Singapore graduate school class was doing a survey of blogger ethics to which I responded. They had some interesting questions even if I found some not really applicable. Even more interesting - afterwards they had an optional survey with some Kohlberg's ethical and moral development dilemma questions. Here is one for you to ponder.

The Newspaper

Fred, a senior in high school, wanted to publish a newspaper for students so that he could express many of his opinions. He wanted to speak out against the war in Iraq and to speak out against some of the school's rules, like the rule forbidding boys to wear long hair.

When Fred started his newspaper, he asked his principal for permission. The principal said it would be all right if before every publication Fred would turn in all his articles for the principal's approval. Fred agreed and turned in several articles for approval. The principal approved all of them and Fred published two issues of the paper in the next two weeks.

But the principal had not expected that Fred's newspaper would receive so much attention. Students were so excited by the paper that they began to organize protests against the hair regulation and other school rules. Angry parents objected to Fred’s opinions. They phoned the principal telling him that the newspaper was unpatriotic and should not be published. As a result of the rising excitement, the principal ordered Fred to stop publishing. He gave as as reason that Fred's activities were disruptive to the operation of the school.

Should the principal stop the newspaper?

Should stop it Can't decide Should not stop it

Weight the importance of the following in weighing your decision -
Great Much Some Little No/NA.

1. Is the principal more responsible to students or the parents?
2. Did the principal give his word that the newspaper could be published for a long time, or did he just promise to approve the newspaper one issue at a time?
3. Would the students start protesting even more if the principal stopped the newspaper?
4. When the welfare of the school is threatened, does the principal have the right to give orders to students?
5. Does the principal have the freedom of speech to say 'no' in this case?
6. If the principal stopped the newspaper would he be preventing full discussion of important problems?
7. Whether the principal's order would make Fred lose faith in the principal.
8. Whether Fred was really loyal to his school and patriotic to his country.
9. What effect would stopping the paper have on the student’s education in critical thinking and judgments.
10. Whether Fred was in any way violating the rights of others in publishing his own opinions.
11. Whether the principal should be influenced by some angry parents when it is the principal that knows best what is going on in the school.
12. Whether Fred was using the newspaper to stir up hatred and discontent.

Refine your weighing - what are the four most important considerations - in order?

I am sure some of the blogger ethics questions revolved around if it is ethical for me to publish this.