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?

Question

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 protection of privacy and exploitation of the individual
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

To assess the ethical implications of Curro's career day campaign featuring images of schoolchildren, we need to evaluate the situation through the lens of normative ethics, specifically focusing on professional conduct in media and marketing.

Normative Variables and Relevant Policies

In this context, we can refer to the South African Press Code and related ethical guidelines for marketing and advertising professionals. Key components relevant to our analysis include the protection of privacy, avoidance of exploitation, and the promotion of respectful and inclusive representation.

1. Protection of Privacy

The South African Press Code outlines that media professionals must respect individuals' rights to privacy. This includes obtaining informed consent from parents or guardians before using images of minors. While Curro claims that parental consent was obtained, it is crucial to examine not just the acquisition of consent but the broader implications of how that consent was given — was it fully informed, and did parents understand the context in which their children's images would be used?

2. Avoidance of Exploitation

Exploitation of individuals, particularly those from marginalized communities, is an important ethical consideration. The representation of the black child in a cashier role, juxtaposed with white children in prestigious professional roles, could be seen as perpetuating stereotypes and reinforcing systemic inequalities. The normative ethical stance in media and marketing is to portray individuals and groups fairly and avoid content that could contribute to social stigmas or discrimination.

3. Duty to Ensure Respectful Representation

The ethical responsibilities of marketers include promoting diversity and inclusion and ensuring that depictions of all individuals do not contribute to harmful stereotypes. By narrowly framing the roles of children based on race, the marketing team's approach not only raises questions about representation but also risks offending individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Evaluation of the Conduct

Based on the guidelines above, the conduct of the Curro marketing team can be scrutinized from several angles:

• Consent Process: If the consent process lacked transparency and did not inform parents about the potential implications for their children’s portrayals, it could be seen as ethically questionable.

• Representation: The juxtaposition of black and white children in this context may perpetuate stereotypes or imply social hierarchies based on race. This presentation raises ethical concerns about the message being communicated through the campaign: that certain roles are more suited to one racial group over another.

• Cultural Sensitivity: The campaign lacked sensitivity to the broader societal implications of racial representation. Particularly in a country like South Africa, which carries a historical burden of apartheid and racial inequity, the responsibilities of educators and media professionals to foster inclusivity and avoid reinforcing stereotypes are amplified.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while Curro may have followed procedural protocols such as obtaining consent, the ethical dilemmas surrounding representation and the potential exploitation of children's images cannot be overlooked. The marketing team's decision to feature the children in a racially framed context likely falls short of the ethical standards for respectful and equitable representation articulated in related codes of conduct. Therefore, Curro's campaign can be considered unethical, as it risks reinforcing harmful stereotypes and failing to protect the dignity and privacy of all children involved.