Ethics and Loyalty

You are a reporter for ABC-TV Phoenix. On Thursday morning, you receive a phone call from Michelle McMahon, a health educator for Project AZ AIDS, a state-funded health testing agency; she wants to know if you’d make an announcement on tonight’s evening broadcast telling viewers where to go for AIDS testing. You say you’ll consider it and call her tomorrow, but she presses you, saying, “It may be too late by then.” She goes on to explain that Teddy Feller, who owns five bars on and around Mill Ave. in Tempe, has AIDS, and that in the past week, 17 ASU students had tested positive for the disease at a Project AZ AIDS testing center and identified Feller as a sexual partner. McMahon says Feller is a promiscuous guy who uses his bars as a feeding ground, and she wants to get the word out before an AIDS epidemic hits ASU. You hang up with McMahon and reflect on the call; at no point did McMahon ask to remain anonymous, but you have the impression that she would want you to protect her from anything that would damage her organization. How should you report this story? If you choose to run a story on Feller, how should you identify him? And should you identify McMahon as your source?
Then, submit a memo noting your name and date at the top (these should also be in the filename). Then, construct a written memo (in essay/narrative format; no headings or bullet points) that evaluates this case and recommends a resolution. Your memo must include the following components:
• A summary of the case and the ethical challenge(s) it evokes
• A discussion of the five primary loyalties and why it is important to uphold them in this specific case
• A discussion of at least three values, why they are challenged in this case, and how they conflict or support each other
• Application and discussion of this case to at least two principles
• A conclusion that includes a discussion of how your loyalties, values and principles connect, and a resolution for this case stemming from them
You will be graded on the soundness of your reasoning. Your memo should be no more than 800 words, but there is no need to strive for the maximum; you should strive for brevity while being sure to thoroughly address each component of the case framework. Review the grading rubric for details.