MAASAI MARA UNIVERSITY
REGULAR UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS
2014/2015 ACADEMIC YEAR
THIRD YEAR FIRST SEMESTER
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
COURSE CODE: CMM 300
COURSE TITLE: COMMUNICATION ETHICS
DATE:31ST AUGUST, 2105 TIME:11.00AM – 1.00PM
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Question ONE is compulsory.
Answer any other TWO questions.
This paper consists of 2 printed pages. Please turn over.
SECTION A (COMPULSORY) (TOTAL 30 MKS)
1. Communication practitioners usually strive to apply certain ethical standards in various contexts as they engage their varied audiences. In line with this statement;
(i) Using relevant illustrations, explain the indispensability of ethics in communication (6mks)
(ii) Discuss the four key justifications proposed by those against involving ethics in communication (8 mks)
(iii) “Potential ethics issues exist in any instance of communication between humans.” Discuss this statement (7mks)
(iv) “Tension potentially exist between “is” and “ought,” between the actual and ideal in attempting to be ethical.” Discuss this statement using relevant illustrations. (9 mks)
SECTION B (SELECT ANY OTHER TWO QUESTIONS)
2. Journalists face numerous challenges while executing their roles in Africa. Kenya is no exception since in some cases they are physically abused, however, some journalists fail to adhere to ethical guidelines thus facing some of these challenges. Using relevant illustrations, discuss any five approaches they must use to abide by journalistic ethics. (20 mks)
3. There has been a trend by some critics associating the field of public relations with unethical behaviours such as lying, espionage and spin-
doctoring among other vices. Some public relations practitioners are partly to blame for this state of affairs due to failure to abide by professional ethics. Using relevant illustrations, discuss in details any five approaches public relations practitioners can use in order to salvage the image of the profession and themselves. (20 mks)
4. Using relevant examples, discuss in details the four complex interrelated processes that yield moral outcome. (20 mks)
5. Discuss FOUR ways in which the coming of new media has destabilized the existing communication structures and protocols in Africa in line with ethical aspects.
