Bus: 415 - Business Ethics Case

Business Ethics Case

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2008) defines business ethics in concept, as an applied discipline of ethics that focuses on the application of morality in commercial activities. Activities such as business conduct, employee and supplier relations, accounting practices and sales techniques are under its rubric. Business ethics in general terms then, addresses the conduct of individuals and companies. It describes the values intrinsic in the way a company behaves and how it conducts business. This paper will state what kind of newspaper the National Enquirer is. It will also determine the ethics of the National Enquirer in trying to avoid suit in the business case of Calder v. Jones, 465 U.S. 783, 104 S.Ct. 1482, 79 L.Ed.2d 804, Web 1984 U.S. Lexis 4 (Supreme Court of the United States), where Jones filed for defamation of character, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Finally, the paper will establish if in fact the defendants are subject to suit in the state of California.

The National Enquirer

Founded in 1926 by William Griffin, the National Enquirer was a Sunday afternoon paper of democratic partisanship. After the paper was sold to Generoso Pope in 1952, the format of the paper changed to one that featured national news and headlines of murders and mutilation. Throughout the year, the paper slowly evolved and became fully tabloid in 1953. Today, the paper remains tabloid with a weekly circulation of seven million throughout the United States (FundingUniverse, n.d.).

Ethics of Suit Avoidance

Although the lawsuit filed by Jones gave the California state court personal jurisdiction over her and the National Enquirer, provisions in the law exists that also grant personal jurisdiction to the National Enquirer. Under the law, companies are subjected to personal jurisdiction in the state in which they are incorporated (Cheeseman, 2010). Accordingly, the National Enquirer was within its...