Should reality TV have a code of ethics? Hahahahahaha, but seriously: Should it? Could it ever happen? Linda Holmes outlined a possible code, which would require shows to provide mental-health services to participants, mandates that all participant contracts be publicly available on the show’s website, and bans producers from using footage of drunken cast members if producers themselves provided the alcohol. (She suggests that it be a voluntary standard, and that viewers and advertisers vote with their eyeballs and dollars, akin to shopping for organic food.) What would go into forming a more perfect reality-TV universe? What standards should we hold production companies and networks to, and what should we hold participants and contestants to? What would you put in a code of ethics for reality shows? [Monkey See/NPR]
