The Ethics of Reality TV

When 'reality tv' covers most of the social domain, it seems strange that we do not have more debates about the ethics of how it does this. Even stranger, when we consider the frequent conflicts between production goals and the needs of those who appear in reality shows. This lively book brings together both critical and more sympathetic assessments in a series of accessibly written essays that open up this important topic to students and general readers alike. --Nick Couldry, Professor of Media and Communications, Goldsmiths, University of London, and author of Listening Beyond the Echoes: Media, Ethics and Agency in an Uncertain World (Paradigm Books, 2006)
The temptation with a book on reality TV is just to slam the genre as an ethical wasteland. Indeed, the authors provide compelling reasons to disapprove of common ethical trespasses in reality TV, including deception, exploitation, and stereotyping. However, they also challenge us to take the good with the bad. Do some shows, at least, have the potential to uplift, educate and inspire? If so, are they the exception or the rule? Are there some shows we can support wholeheartedly, or must we settle for ethical lemons that can be turned into lemonade? This balanced collection is a must-read for anyone seeking an intelligent ethical examination of reality TV in the United States and abroad. -- Sandra L. Borden, Professor of Communication and Co-director of the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society at Western Michigan University, USA
‘The Ethics of Reality TV: A Philosophical Examination’ discusses the ethical component of reality television and offers chapters considering issues ranging from deception and privacy breaches to democracy. Leading scholars in media ethics provide articles that consider how reality TV harms and benefits society alike, making for a powerful collection as suitable for media and television collections as for philosophy holdings. * The Midwest Book Review *
Reviewed by -- S. Pepper, Northeastern Illinois University * CHOICE *
Wyatt and Bunton have taken an important first step in filling a sizable hole in the literature of media ethics with this first systematic, international, and philosophical inspection of a key, if not dark, continent within the television landscape. * Media Ethics Magazine *