Today, Greg Bowers of The Missourian, did a presentation on sports ethics. The foundation of the presentation was set around one key concept, “Ethics is a moving target” as Mr. Bowers said. Things that would pass for quality journalism in the 1920’s would not pass in the 1970s, and today that ethical pendulum has swung again, making what was acceptable 30 years ago, inapplicable today.
But does that mean ethics are solely relative to the times? Don’t they coincide with moral values? Aren’t there ethical guidelines that remain through the years? In some ways, it feels like ethics being a moving target is a cop out or an excuse to let someone do or continue unethical work. If the ethical guidelines keep changing, and in part foster bad behavior, then aren’t we just deluding ourselves into thinking we do well intentioned things, when it’s the exact opposite? I’m not saying Mr. Bowers is wrong, or what I briefly said in the past 100 words in the sole basis for his argument, but I don’t think you can keep widening the ethical and moral spectrum. -- Javier Cortez
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