“That’s Entertainment?” ethics workshop taking place in Franklin Hall on Thursday

Alexandra Taylor

This year’s ethics conference, “That’s Entertainment!” runs 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Thursday. Along with keynote speaker and former Wild Cherry member and entertainment lawyer Mark Avsec, topics at this year’s workshop include: “The New Ethics of Journalism,” “So You Want to Walk the Red Carpet? How to Get a Job in Entertainment Media” and more.

The cost is $25 for media and public relations professionals, $20 for faculty and free for all Kent State students. A free lunch will also be provided during the workshop. Speakers from all aspects of entertainment media will be in FirstEnergy Auditorium in Franklin Hall Thursday to talk about how ethics pertains to their current jobs. Several media companies will be present at the workshop, including Billboard, Alternative Press Magazine, Sports Illustrated and more. The panel comprises of many Kent State alumni and faculty members.

Journalism and Mass Communication professor Eugene Shelton will be speaking at this year’s event about his work at Motown Records, CBS Records, Columbia and Epic Records and what ethics meant to his job as a publicist.

“History tells us people would do some unethical things to get a record played,” Shelton said. Shelton is going to be focusing on racial profiling in the music industry and what is considered right and wrong when trying to promote an artist.

This theme has never been done before in the nine years of the Poynter Kent State Media Ethics Workshop. “Everyone consumes entertainment. You go to movies, you watch TV, and we have many students who really seek the careers,” said Janet Leach, workshop organizer and associate professor.