IDENTIFYING PATTERNS OF ETHICAL SENSITIVITY IN TV-NEWS VIEWERS - AN ASSESSMENT OF SOME CRITICAL VIEWING SKILLS

This study applies a multidimensional assessment of ethical sensitivit y to 104 viewers' descriptions and evaluations of a local TV news stor y about a hit-and-run accident. Ethical sensitivity is measured along four dimensions or abilities: ability to notice relevant story charact eristics, ethical issues, consequences, and stakeholders. Cluster anal ysis reveals eight distinct clusters or patterns of ethical sensitivit y abilities, which we label broadly aware, outcome oriented, consequen ce oriented, stakeholder oriented, issue oriented, fact oriented, outc ome oriented, and broadly unaware.