Ethical Scenario 2

As feature editor for a northern newspaper, Mr. Wu found himself in charge of a broad array of different departments. Like most newspapers, his newspaper ran features on education, books, science, and the arts - as well as on cars, chess, stars, gardening, and food. He quickly learned that what makes any of these departments sing is the skill of the writing - and that even in areas where he had no discernible interest, a well-crafted story could seize and hold his attention just as well as a breaking front-page sizzler. So he always sought to hire young staff members who, whatever other talents they might have, were good writers.

He had just such a young woman on the food page. Rachel had graduated at the top of her class, and had progressed rapidly to the point where, as assistant editor, she wrote regularly. So one summer day, when Mr. Wu noticed that she had submitted a story on White River blueberries, he was pleased to see it in the queue, awaiting publication in several more days.

The next day he looked up from his computer terminal to find the food editor herself - a woman with decades of experience, one of the best in the business - standing silently in front of his desk. On one hand she held a copy of her young assistant's story on blueberries. On the other hand she held a battered, tan cookbook some thirty years old. She laid each on Mr. Wu's desk. And there, on the pages of that cookbook, was Rachel's story, printed word for word.

Among the few cardinal sins of journalism, one stands supreme: You don't plagiarize! Nothing should be drummed more insistently into the minds of young journalists; and nothing is more difficult to detect.

This was no right versus right ethical dilemma. For Rachel it was a pure and simple case of right-versus-wrong moral temptation - and she had chosen wrong.

1. a) Outline the main facts.

b) Using Kidder's 4 types of ethical dilemmas, identify the type of ethical dilemma? Explain your choice and outline what are the competing interests. (4)

2. What should Mr. Wu. do in this case? Give your reasoning for your response giving reference to the ethical viewpoints you believe applies in this case. (4)