[9/21, 14:44] Lebogang❤️🫂: Case Study #3 - Curro schools’ racially insensitive marketing campaign

Question

Curro recently came under scrutiny over the images posted on its social media pages depicting the Curro primary school pupils' career day event. The images showed a black child posing as a cashier, while white children posed as professionals or buyers. The school however claims that they received the consent of the parents before the images were used. Was the Curro marketing team ethical in their creation of this campaign?
Normative Variables
In this section you will analyse the conduct of the media professionals in your case
study and evaluate it in terms of the normative ethics of the appropriate field (e.g., Press
Code for print journalist, etc.). Here you will discuss the specific duties and
expectations of the media professional(s) as they are articulated in the relevant codes
under which the professional(s) operate(s). In this section, you must refer to 1 policie which is children's safety
and/or codes that were violated and/or upheld by the professionals in the case study to
argue whether you believe the conduct of the case study to be (un)ethical.

Answer 1

In assessing the ethical conduct of the Curro marketing team in their career day event campaign, it is crucial to evaluate the situation against relevant ethical codes and normative frameworks. One such framework is the South African Press Code, which emphasizes the importance of fairness, equality, and respect for all individuals, particularly vulnerable groups such as children.

Normative Variables: Ethical Evaluation

The South African Press Code highlights several key principles that apply to this case:

1. Children's Safety and Well-being: A critical part of the Press Code is its guideline on protecting children in media. When depicting children, media professionals have a duty to safeguard their welfare and ensure that portrayals do not reinforce harmful stereotypes or prejudices.

2. Respect for Diversity and Non-discrimination: The press code also mandates respect for diverse backgrounds and the prohibition of discriminatory practices. Content that reinforces racial stereotypes can perpetuate social injustices and harm the individuals depicted, especially children, who may internalize these messages.

3. Consent and Contextual Sensitivity: While Curro claims to have obtained consent from parents prior to using the images, the ethical implications of how these images were framed are still paramount. Consent does not absolve responsibility if the context of the images promotes a harmful narrative, as was the case in this instance.

Evaluation of the Conduct

The marketing team's decision to portray a black child as a cashier, juxtaposed with white children as professionals, raises significant ethical concerns:

• Reinforcement of Stereotypes: The portrayal is problematic as it inadvertently suggests a correlation between race and occupation, reinforcing harmful societal stereotypes about the capabilities and roles of individuals based on their race. This portrayal can have lasting effects on how children perceive themselves and their aspirations.

• Lack of Awareness and Sensitivity: The decision to organize the images in such a way reflects a troubling lack of sensitivity to the historical context of race in South Africa. The marketing team should have anticipated the potential backlash and the negative impact the given representation could have on community perceptions of the school and wider society.

• Responsibility Towards Children: According to the relevant children's safety policies and codes, the marketing team has a special responsibility to ensure that the dignity and representation of children are preserved in any form of marketing. Even with parental consent, the campaign's framing demonstrates a failure to prioritize the ethical considerations surrounding the portrayal of children.

Conclusion

In summary, while the Curro marketing team may claim to have followed procedural steps by securing parental consent, they did not adhere to the ethical duties outlined in the South African Press Code, particularly in terms of protecting children's well-being and promoting non-discrimination. The racial implications of their marketing choices signify a lack of awareness and an unethical approach to media representation. Therefore, the conduct of the Curro marketing team in this case study can be categorized as unethical. Such decisions should serve as a call to action for improved sensitivity and accountability in marketing campaigns, especially those involving children.