“The End Can Justify the Means—But Rarely”

To help you situate the topic in some concrete contexts, you are required to read two essays, “The End Can Justify the Means—But Rarely” (by Warren G. Bovee) and “Why the end doesn’t justify the means, but the means can always justify the end” (by James Schroeder), posted on our course website. The first essay explores means and end relationship in the context of journalism, and the second essay argues, somewhat surprisingly, that the means can always justify the end, not the other way around. You need to read these two essays carefully and really digest them first, and only then can you be properly prepared for writing your own essay.