DOING WELL/DOING GOOD

Although previous Pacific Telecommunication Council annual conferences have addressed ethical issues such as privacy, security, and intellectual property, the most engaging ethics-related event at PTC 2005 was titled "Doing Well by Doing Good" and focused on the communications satellite industry. The approach taken was a "green light" one (reinforcing pro-social, humanitarian, and ethical practices by saluting those who engage in such activities rather than the "red light" approach of policing and regulating). Because the disastrous Southeast Asian tsunami was fresh in the minds of conference participants, panelists spoke of how the satellite industry assisted with disaster relief efforts and provided preventive information about environmental disasters to Pacific countries. Malcolm Warren, Managing Director of VSAT networks for ViaSat, Inc. spoke of the use of satellite technologies for connecting those in the Australian outback and other remote Pacific locations to provide them with vital information. Deepak Mathur, V.P., Worldsat (Singapore) recounted how satellite centers in India brought uneducated families and subsistence level farmers to a greater level of literacy, education, and relative prosperity. Bo Norton, Director of Channel Sales for Telenor Satellite Services, reported on a wide range of services-emergency relief, distance education, medical information, HIV/AIDS prevention, etc.-provided throughout the Pacific by satellite delivery. Finally, Yan Kit Lee, Deputy Director of Signtel (Singapore), commented on how digital cinema in the Pacific is helping to narrow the digital divide and reduce media piracy. This panel was organized by moderator Bruce Elbert, President of Application Technology Strategy, who trains others in the satellite industry on a pro bono basis. Each of these participants was able to use satellite work for humanitarian purposes without sacrificing financial sustainability for their companies. The panel demonstrated that corporations could be ethical, "make a difference," provide services to humanity despite their financial costs, and still "do well" overall by building a positive reputation and sleeping with clear consciences.

PTC 2005 was held in Honolulu, January 16-19, 2005 and included brain-storming sessions about the mission, purpose, and future of PTC. Among the 917 participants from 51 Pacific countries were representatives from business, science, academe, regulation, law, and government.

For further information, contact Puja Hudelist at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the PTC Web site, http://www.ptc.org.

By Tom Cooper

CLIFFORD CHRISTIANS ETHICS RESEARCH AWARD TO BUGEJA

The Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research has awarded the 2005 Clifford G. Christians Ethics Research Award to Prof. Michael Bugeja for his book Interpersonal Divide: The Search for Community in a Technological Age (Oxford, 2005). Bugeja is director of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at the Iowa State University of Science and Technology. The award will be presented during a Media Ethics Division session at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Convention in San Antonio in early August (see "Datebook"). The review committee included Lee Wilkins (Missouri), Robert Fortner (Calvin), Deni Elliott (U. of South Florida-St. Petersburg), and Ronald Arnett (Duquesne).

* For more information about the Clifford G. Christians Ethics Research Award: Shing-Ling Chen, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Web site: http://www.cccsir.org.

ETHICS AND EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM FOUNDATION GRANTS

Forty-five organizations, nationwide, shared in the February 2005 distribution of $2.7 million in grants by the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation. Founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord in 1982 to support local and national efforts to improve the quality of journalism practices among various media, the Foundation currently provides funding for projects that promote excellence and install high ethical standards in journalism. The grants ranged downward from $600,000 (to the University of Oklahoma for establishment of the Institute for Research and Training). Some institutions received more than one grant. Alphabetically, the awardees were: Alfred Friendly Foundation, American Press Institute, American Society of Newspaper Editors Foundation, Ball State U. Foundation, Belmont U., Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School, Carole Kneeland Project for Responsible Television Journalism, Casady School, Committee to Protect Journalists, Concordia College (NY), Cumberland College, Daniel Pearl Foundation, East-West U. (Chicago), Eastern Illinois U., Families for Excellence in Education, Freedom of Information Oklahoma, Friends of the (OK) State Museum of History, Fund for American Studies, Fund for Investigative Journalism, George Washington U. School of Media and Public Affairs, Hampton U., Hutchinson Community College Endowment Association, Institute for Global Ethics, International Center for Journalists, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Ithaca College, Kennesaw State U. Foundation, Kernel Press, Lane College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mid-America Press Institute Foundation, Middle Tennessee State U. Foundation, National Association of Black Journalists, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, National Press Foundation, National Society of Newspaper Columnists, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State U., Northwestern U., Oklahoma Baptist U., Oklahoma City Community College Foundation, Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation, Oklahoma City U., Oklahoma State U. Foundation, Pundit Productions, Putnam City Public Schools Foundation, Real Change Homeless Empowerment Project, U. of California, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Rose State College Foundation, Society of Professional Journalists, Southern Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation, Student Media Company (Southern Methodist U.), Student Press Law Center, tcc Group, Unified School District 254 (Medicine Lodge, KS), U. of Arkansas, U. of Central Oklahoma Foundation, U of Maryland College Park Foundation, U. of Montana Foundation, U. of Oklahoma Foundation, U. of Oregon Foundation, U. of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Foundation, Vietnamese American Association, Washington Center for Politics & Journalism, and Winona State U.

* For more information on these awards, contact: Beth Brigham, Telephone: 405.525.0055.

For information about the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, Telephone: 405.604.5388; Web site: http://www.journalismfoundation.org.

KNIGHT GRANT

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded the Michigan State University School of Journalism $2.2 million to expand the educational, training and research efforts of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. It will be matched by approximately $2 million from the University. This MSU environmental journalism program-which has received approximately $4 million from the Knight Foundation over the past 12 years-will focus on ethical issues in several of its activities. Since 1990, the Knight Foundation has established 18 Knight Chairs in Journalism at major U. S. colleges and Universities, investing $27 million in this program. Since its establishment in 1950, the Foundation has approved more than $250 million in grants.

* For more information: Web site: http://www.knightfdn.org/journalism.