Project Outline: Shifting Contexts in the Digital Age; Ethical Implications and the Snowden Case

I. Introduction

A. Thesis statement: The rise of mass media and communication in the digital age has brought about a new context by which we understand ethical issues such as privacy that can be exemplified by the Snowden case; therefore, in order to fully comprehend the shifting reality and the implications of technology used by agencies like the NSA, we must identify the means by which such a case can be evaluated.

B. Claims:

i. Communication via technology has both positive and negative implications. While cheap, easy communication on a global scale is certainly something to appreciate and marvel at, there are consequences that come as the result of security and privacy concerns.

ii. Snowden and the NSA is a case in which we are able to evaluate the consequences of communication/ Internet surveillance and why this case has so much controversy.

iii. Diversity is an American ideal that has been recontextualized in the post-9/11 world. While we seek the benefits of diversity in our day-to-day experiences, the broader context of security has seeped its way into the mainstream, creating issues of prejudice and stereotyping.

iv. The ethical implications of the use of advanced surveillance technology as exemplified by the Snowden case include:

a. Privacy concerns differ on the personal and national level, i.e. Wikileaks, the ethics of journalism, and the understanding of American privacy law/ rights

b. The concept of security outlined by the government (Homeland Security) has changed our means of evaluating privacy and the act of economic and industrial espionage at the personal, national, and global levels.

c. Equitable access to information remains the primary concern for those in fields like information technology and journalism; however, the NSA and Snowden in particular, have challenged our ideas about access and “the right to know.”

v. The most objective assessment of the Snowden case is achieved by critical thinking guidelines in which mass communication, the complicated notion of diversity in American society, and ethics of privacy are all held up to our current, post-9/11 context, which includes an age of social media sharing, rapid communication, communications privacy, and the threat/ fear of terrorism.

II. Communication

A. Social Media has drastically altered the way humans interact with one another, especially on a global scale.

i. Fragmented perspectives can lead to gross misunderstanding and conceptions of Individuals, cultures, and even regions of the world (Purcell, et al, 2010).

ii. One of the most notable benefits to the popularity of social media sharing is that it is a global phenomenon in which low-cost, efficient communication between individuals and organizations can be achieved.

iii. Privacy risks involved in social media have often made headlines, particularly in the case of Facebook. What users choose to share and withhold on the Internet is essentially at their own risk, which attributes to both misunderstanding/ misrepresentation and security concerns.

iv. The "problem," as some might refer to it, is that global communication, a crucial part of today's society, is being shifted drastically by social media, and perhaps not always for the better.

B. Mass communication: Global communication has been changed in the age of social media is such that it will likely never be the same again.

i. news and journalism

ii. global perspective

iii. shifting contexts

C. Digital records and the Snowden case

i. Overview of the NSA and the recent debate over privacy

ii. Homeland Security and espionage

iii. post 9/11 context and threats of terrorist activity

III. Mixed Perceptions in Understanding Diversity

A. Implications of a global community

i. Not only does diversity often make for a more comprehensive experience in whatever context, but it also challenges one to adapt his or her proclivities to a diverse group of people, hailing from many different backgrounds, with different values, and from all walks of life.

B. Issues within communication

i. language barriers

ii. cultural barriers

iii. the digital divide

C. Perceived fairness

i. In a sense, any effort to develop a student body, for example, with a diversity that mirrors the diversity of the American socio-cultural spectrum will inevitably curtail the extent to which genuine talent, ability, and desire are standards for inclusion. In other words, if a priority is placed upon “forced” diversity, as opposed to a more authentic form, the diverse body will not perform according to expectations (Bowen & Bok, 1998).

ii. Stereotypes of foreign cultures as a result of a limited or fragmented understanding of cultural contexts and regions of the world.

IV. Ethical Issues in the Age of Technology

A. How technology is used

i. The power implied by access to technology creates ethical issues similar to the concerns of journalism.

ii. The ethical dilemma for journalism here is clear - given that one has access to such revealing information, what should one do with it?

iii. This relates back to the same issues we find outlined above in social media use, mass communication, and concepts of diversity.

B. Protection Versus Exploitation

i. As we’ve seen, mass communication and social media have both the potential for positive and negative implications based on use.

ii. Equitable access versus the security of sensitive information is commonly debated in both journalism and information technology.

ii. Economic factors (Pinard, 2002)

a. Companies (those who own popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)

b. Stakeholders (all parties involved in transactions)

C. Finding a middle ground and limitation of harm in media sharing

i. legal code

ii. ethical code

iii. responsibility

V. Critical Thinking in the Context of the Digital Age

A. Global communication is a broad and complicated issue, and examining the way it is affected by this era of social media can make matters even more complicated.

ii. Evaluating the Snowden case

i. Using the 8 points: the "eight elements of thought," which present a set of criteria for forming an opinion or other bias toward a certain idea (Elder and Paul, 2007)

a. Outline the 8 points with relevant information to the Snowden case

b. just as the 8 criteria for critical thinking are deeply intertwined, so too are the four concepts that create the context of this paper: Communication, Ethics, Diversity, and Critical Thinking itself.

ii. Ethical implications include the privacy and security of American citizens and the monitoring of potential threats, both domestic and international based.

iii. Freedom and safety are American values and perceived responsibilities of the government, which various agencies and individuals in positions of power through policy must keep in a delicate balance.

C. Another crucial element of thought that must be applied to global communication is the point of view, or perspective, of social media. Since global communication is, as its name implies, a universal and global concept, the perspectives needed to examine it must be more specific.

VI. Conclusion

A. Evaluation of the Snowden case

i. Snowden’s reasons for exposing the NSA and his own perception of his former job, the agency, and ethical responsibility.

ii. The ability to objectively evaluate Snowden and the NSA as opposing sides in this debate relies on our critical thinking skills and knowledge of the current context.

iii. Bias and subjectivity surrounding the case are a direct result of fragmented understandings, mixed perceptions, and ethical concerns all within the context of a highly-digitized, post 9//11 America.

B. Responsible use of technology, particularly the Internet

C. Potential or Ideal Use of Internet Technology

i. Mass communication like social media has the potential for promoting the benefits of living in a diverse global community in which various perspectives are represented.

i. Cultures that interact with one another, no matter the context, will strengthen the bonds between themselves as both an individual and a culture by merely communicating (Bowe & Martin, 2007)

References

Bowe, H., & Martin, K. (2007). Communication across cultures: Mutual understanding in a global world. Cambridge University Press.

Bowen, W.G. & Bok, D. (1998). The Shape of the River: 
Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions. New Jersey: Princeton University Press (1998).

Elder, L., & Paul, R. (2007). The Thinker’s Guide to Analytic Thinking: How To Take Thinking Apart and What to Look for When You Do: the Elements of Thinking and the Standards They Must Meet. Dillon Beach, CA: The Foundation for Critical Thinking.

Pinard, R. G. (2002). The economics and financing of media companies (Vol. 1). Fordham University Press.

Purcell, K., Smith, A., & Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social media & mobile Internet use among teens and young adults (pp. 155-79). Washington, DC: Pew Internet & American life project.

Ward, S. J. (2010). Global journalism ethics. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press.