DOING WELL/DOING GOOD
Although previous Pacific Telecommunication Council annual conferences have addressed ethical issues such as privacy, security, and intellectual property, the most engaging ethics-related event at PTC 2005 was titled "Doing Well by Doing Good" and focused on the communications satellite industry. The approach taken was a "green light" one (reinforcing pro-social, humanitarian, and ethical practices by saluting those who engage in such activities rather than the "red light" approach of policing and regulating). Because the disastrous Southeast Asian tsunami was fresh in the minds of conference participants, panelists spoke of how the satellite industry assisted with disaster relief efforts and provided preventive information about environmental disasters to Pacific countries. Malcolm Warren, Managing Director of VSAT networks for ViaSat, Inc. spoke of the use of satellite technologies for connecting those in the Australian outback and other remote Pacific locations to provide them with vital information. Deepak Mathur, V.P., Worldsat (Singapore) recounted how satellite centers in India brought uneducated families and subsistence level farmers to a greater level of literacy, education, and relative prosperity. Bo Norton, Director of Channel Sales for Telenor Satellite Services, reported on a wide range of services-emergency relief, distance education, medical information, HIV/AIDS prevention, etc.-provided throughout the Pacific by satellite delivery. Finally, Yan Kit Lee, Deputy Director of Signtel (Singapore), commented on how digital cinema in the Pacific is helping to narrow the digital divide and reduce media piracy. This panel was organized by moderator Bruce Elbert, President of Application Technology Strategy, who trains others in the satellite industry on a pro bono basis. Each of these participants was able to use satellite work for humanitarian purposes without sacrificing financial sustainability for their companies. The panel demonstrated that corporations could be ethical, "make a difference," provide services to humanity despite their financial costs, and still "do well" overall by building a positive reputation and sleeping with clear consciences.
PTC 2005 was held in Honolulu, January 16-19, 2005 and included brain-storming sessions about the mission, purpose, and future of PTC. Among the 917 participants from 51 Pacific countries were representatives from business, science, academe, regulation, law, and government.
For information about the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, Telephone: 405.604.5388; Web site: .
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded the Michigan State University School of Journalism $2.2 million to expand the educational, training and research efforts of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. It will be matched by approximately $2 million from the University. This MSU environmental journalism program-which has received approximately $4 million from the Knight Foundation over the past 12 years-will focus on ethical issues in several of its activities. Since 1990, the Knight Foundation has established 18 Knight Chairs in Journalism at major U. S. colleges and Universities, investing $27 million in this program. Since its establishment in 1950, the Foundation has approved more than $250 million in grants.