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5.4: Ethics Exercises

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    This section provides hands-on exercises to help you identify and apply ethical principles throughout your documentary projects.

    Ethics Log Journal

    Objective: Track and reflect on ethical decisions encountered during documentary production.

    Instructions: - Maintain an Ethics Log throughout your production process. - Record any ethical questions, dilemmas, or decisions.

    Each entry should include:

    • Date
    • Situation summary
    • Ethical principle(s) involved
    • Decision made
    • Reasoning

    Deliverable: - Submit at least three entries by the end of your project for review and discussion.

    “What Would You Do?” Scenario Discussion

    Objective: Explore ethical gray areas through group discussion and reasoning.

    Scenario: You’re filming a documentary about a local artist. During an interview, they reveal a history of substance abuse and family estrangement. This adds depth to your story, but the subject is hesitant to make it public.

    Options:

    • Use the footage as filmed.
    • Omit the content entirely.
    • Negotiate a version the subject is comfortable with.
    • Keep it in but blur or otherwise hide their identity.

    Discussion Questions:

    • What ethical concerns are at play?
    • Which documentary ethical principles apply?
    • How might your decision affect the subject, the film, and your audience?

    Deliverable: - Present your group’s decision and reasoning to the class.

    Harm Audit for Sensitive Material

    Objective: Evaluate potential harm caused by scenes or topics in your documentary.

    Instructions: - Select a scene or story segment from your project or a recent documentary. - Use this checklist to perform a Harm Audit:

    • Does this reveal sensitive personal information?
    • Could it cause emotional distress?
    • Could it damage someone’s reputation?
    • Is consent clearly documented?
    • Is there a compelling public interest?
    • Can harm be reduced (blur faces, change the camera angle, rephrase)?

    Deliverable: - Submit a written audit report with recommendations.

    Fairness & Balance Scene Analysis

    Objective: Identify potential bias and representation issues.

    Instructions: - Watch one of the following documentaries: - "The Cove" (full feature on Fandor), "13th", or "Won’t You Be My Neighbor?"

    • Whose voices are centered?
    • Are opposing views represented?
    • How?
    • Is the documentary fair to those it critiques?
    • Are any ethical compromises evident?

    Deliverable: - Submit a 1-2 page written response.

    Ethics Code Comparison Project

    Objective: Compare existing media ethics codes and adapt them for documentary production.

    Instructions: - In pairs, review:

    Deliverable: - Submit a 1-page draft code of ethics.

    Optional Post-Screening Writing Prompts (Short Essays or Discussion)

    • The Ethics of Artistic Truth: How can emotional or poetic truth conflict with factual accuracy in a documentary? Where do you draw the line?
    • Consent vs. Consequence: Is consent enough if a subject doesn't understand the potential impact of their participation?
    • The Spectator’s Role: Do we, as viewers, carry any ethical responsibility for how we consume stories of trauma or injustice?

    Add-On: Comparative Analysis Activity

    Ask students to compare two films using the six ethical tenets. Provide a table like the one below for their analysis:

    Ethical Principle

    Film A: __________

    Film B: __________

    Informed Consent

    		    

    Do No Harm

    		    

    Honest Representation

    		    

    Transparency of Method

    		    

    Responsibility to the Audience

    		    

    Power Dynamics

    		    

    This page titled 5.4: Ethics Exercises was last modified on Sun, 07 Jun 2026 18:55:42 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Steve Shlisky.