Interweavement, International Media Ethics and Rational Decision-Making

Interweavement: International Media Ethics and Rational Decision-Makingpresents a media decision-making modelthe Crisis Decision-Making Model for Media Rational Responsibility (CD_M 3 _R 2 )that contributes to theeffectiveperformance of media decision-makers, as a consequence of beingrationalandresponsible. The model, which is theoretical, prescriptive, and dynamic, helps media decision-makers understand what ought to be done during international political crises in order to achieve the sought-after goals. The author looks at communication from the angle of decision-making and discusses how the nature of news-writing in media organizations is full of decisions with consequences that significantly shape the content of their communication. Based on extensive analysis of international media codes of ethics and the fundamentals of journalistic practices, the author suggests a motivator towards ethical conduct and proves it mathematically to demonstrate how rational conduct for the media decision-makers is connected to the adherence to key ethical principles. By applying Game Theory to the United States-Iraqi Crisis and the 2003 War on Iraq, the author shows how individualsrs" decisions are interrelated and how those decisions result in outcomes that when analyzed help explain the rationality of actors in the war and examine the performance of media decision-makers. The author justly calls for the connection of four theoretical fieldscommunication, mathematics, crisis management, and decision-makinginto a comprehensive body to create the foundation for the suggested model. The concept ofInterweavementserves as a central locus through which the interactions among these fields are presented in a dynamic ideational architecture.

Contents Introduction1 I. PREMISE Chapter 1:Communication and Decision-Making11 Positioning a view of communication 11 Understanding communication decisions 19 The centrality of decision-making 29 Chapter 2:Communication and Crisis Management41 Characterizing the crisis situation 41 The significance of crisis management 46 The functioning of communication as doubleedged sword in severe stress situations 49 Chapter 3:Communication and Mathematics61 Mathematics required 61 The intertwinement of mathematics and communication 65 The relevance of Game Theory 69 Rationality in mathematics and decision-making 72 II. PRACTICE Chapter 4:Communication Ethics and Media Responsibility87 Ethical communication required 87 Media responsibility in theory and practice 97 Aspects of "good" journalism 110 Chapter 5:Media Codes of Ethics127 Analysis of existing media codes of ethics 127 Towards a universal code of journalistic ethics 136 Criticism and debate of ethical conduct 139 III. PRAXIS Chapter 6:The Rationality of the U.S.-Iraqi Crisis149 Understanding the United States-Iraqi Crisis 149 Strategic choices: Rationality of War on Iraq decision-making 158 Chapter 7:The Political Games of War on Iraq169 Chicken Game: A broad structure of War on Iraq 169 Samson and Delilah Game: The secrets of WMD and terrorism 181 Chapter 8:The Media Games of War on Iraq195 Rationale 196 Prisonersrs" Dilemma "modified" Game: Communication in charge 197 The Truth Game: A media challenge 211 IV. PROMISE Chapter 9: