Steven J.A. Ward, internationally recognized media ethicist, author and educator will present “Global Media Ethics and the National Interest” April 9, as part of the 2015 Applied Ethics Day at West Virginia University.

Co-sponsored by the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Philosophy, the talk will be at 8 p.m. in room 209 Armstrong Hall. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Emerging digital and global ethics, Ward has said, provides a new framework for understanding serious issues in journalism and national interest.

“I contend that, in a global world, we – citizens, scholars and the journalists – need to examine these new forms of argument and practice,” Ward said. “We need to explore the age-old tension between journalistic freedom and legitimate social restraint. The overriding question is ‘What does responsible journalism mean in a global media world, where nations are still key players?’”

Ward is a distinguished lecturer in ethics at the University of British Columbia, Courtesy. He is a professor at the University of Oregon, and the founding director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin. He is the author “Ethics and the Media,” “Global Journalism Ethics” and the award-winning book “The Invention of Journalism Ethics.”

In addition to his Twitter feed MediaMorals, he is media ethics columnist for leading publications, including the PBS web site, Media Shift. He is founding chair of the Ethics Advisory Committee of the Canadian Association of Journalists.

He was a reporter, war correspondent, and newsroom manager for 14 years, covering conflicts in Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Northern Ireland.

Applied Ethics Day, originally “Ethics Research Day,” began in 1998 as part of an effort to identify areas of research focus at WVU. The event provides a forum for a discussion of ethical issues related to a wide range of disciplines. Previous topics have included human genetics, the environment, national security, health care, public administration, engineering, business, journalism and pharmacy.

For more information, contact Mark Wicclair at 304-293-7709 or mark.wicclair@mail.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

jm/03/26/2015

CONTACT: Devon Copeland, Director of Marketing and Communication, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, 304-293-6867, Devon.Copeland@mail.wvu.edu

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