Pregledni rad
https://doi.org/10.31337/oz.81.2.7
Media Ethics: An Insight into the Theological Perspective of Selected Church Documents
Šime Zupčić
orcid.org/0000-0003-3568-808X
; Fakultet za medije i odnose s javnošću, Sveučilište u Dubrovniku, Dubrovnik, Hrvatska
Danijel Labaš
orcid.org/0000-0002-2339-6277
; Sveučilišni odjel za komunikologiju, Hrvatsko katoličko sveučilište, Zagreb, Hrvatska
*
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
In this paper the authors analyze theological media ethics in Catholic Church documents
which directly address media ethics. While the Church frequently discusses
the media, three documents are specifically dedicated to media ethics: Ethics in Advertising
(1997), Ethics in the Media (2000), and Ethics on the Internet (2002). In
this paper the authors systematically examine theological media ethics in these documents
and present the reflections of theologians and communication scholars on the
values they promote. The documents emphasize the media’s responsibility for the
holistic development of individuals and the well–being of society, stressing that information
should serve the common good. They warn about the media’s tendency to distort reality and its economic dependence on advertisers. Media professionals are
called to foster an authentic view of human development in the material, cultural,
and spiritual dimensions. The documents also caution against ethical relativism and
utilitarianism which characterize the contemporary “culture of death.” The ethical
neutrality of the media is highlighted—the media are neither inherently good nor bad
but are shaped by the actions of media professionals. At the same time, audiences
bear significant ethical responsibility, as their choices contribute to the overall ethical
or unethical nature of the media process. The ethical principles and norms that apply
to other areas of Church doctrine also extend to media ethics.
Ključne riječi
Church document; media ethics; communicologists; theology; advertising; internet
Hrčak ID:
345897
URI
Datum izdavanja:
7.4.2026.
Posjeta: 210 *