Freud and Jung’s Theories in Media Ethics

They believed not only conscious decisions, but unconscious components of the psyche influence our

ethics and courses of action (Froehlich, 1).

By Tara Shanker

Sigmund Freud’s Theories

• Structural model of the psyche– Id, ego, superego

• Dream Censorship– Manifest content and Latent content

– Censorship, repressed issues

Freud’s Theories applied to Journalism

• Charles Gibson’s interviews with Sarah Palin and Barrack Obama– Critics claimed unconscious biases

• “Self editing”- form of censorship• Give into desires if id is not balanced by ego

– Ex. Acceptance of gifts

Carl Jung

• Student of Freud• Created the idea of complexes, similar to Freud’s id,ego,

and superego• Archetypes

Archetypes“Jung's archetypes ‘give an interesting spin on the way media is planned,

particularly with new media channels and the individuals they are attracting’, Mr. Archer said. ‘Archetypes help us identify those people and track them’”

(McIntyre, 1). • Caregiver• Orphan (average guy or girl)• Warrior (hero)• Innocent• Creator • Lover• Destroyer (outlaw)• Seeker (explorer)• Ruler• Jester• Magician • Sage

• Ego• Persona• Shadow• Anima/ animus• Wise old man• Mother• Father• Child

Archetypes in Fairy Tales

• Fairy Tales usually consist of:– King/Queen– Prince/Princess– Witch/Troll– Dunce/Fool

Snow White

• Queen- The Shadow

• Prince- Animus

• Snow White- Maiden

• 7 Dwarves- wise old man, jester

Archetypes of 9-11 in the media

• Victims of 9-11= the innocent

• Al-Qaeda= the destroyer/ The shadow

• George Bush= the hero?

• Firefighters= hero/seeker

Archetypes of the Election in the Media

• Archetypal theme of youth vs. maturity

• Sarah Palin- the mother, anima

• John McCain- the hero, wise old man

• Barrack Obama- the hero, the persona

Conclusion

• The unconscious, and themes we create in the unconscious, influence the media and how stories are produced. Therefore not all the news and stories the media produce is ethical.

• Freud and Jung’s theories of the subconscious directly relate to people’s mentality and their ethics.