The Insider: An Ethics Perspective

The Insider: From an Ethics Perspective

The Insider was an excellent movie that depicted a multitude of ethical dilemmas. Although the focus of the movie surrounds the two main characters, Jeffrey Wigand and Lowell Bergman, there is unethical behavior behavior existing amongst these individuals and everyone in their surroundings. The film's depiction of ethics is a perfect example of what situations one can face in the modern business world. Some of the ethical issues in the film include falsification, honesty, abusive and intimidating behavior, lying, conflict of interest, libel, and an overall lack of social responsibility.

The overlying issue over the entire movie, and the reason for the 60 Minutes broadcast is the completely unethical behavior of the tobacco industry. The industry is guilty of committing several unethical behavior multiple times. First, since the day the FDA announced that cigarettes are damaging to the lung, throat, and body in general, the tobacco industry is providing a damaging product knowingly to its consumers which is a complete lack of social responsibility towards its stakeholders.

Also, the complete reason for the 60 Minutes broadcast was to show America that the tobacco industry has also been lying about the contents in cigarettes especially nicotine. According to the tobacco industry, nicotine is not addictive and was stated so in front of Congress, but Jeffrey Wigand, who worked with the substance as a chemist, says that it is the exact opposite. Wigand says that “the tobacco industry is a nicotine delivery business...” and tobacco companies add ammonia to the cigarettes so the nicotine can be absorbed into the brain faster, so customers can get “their fix”. Although the tobacco industry is not the only party guilty of unethical behavior, but every other unethical party is guilty because of the heavy burdens caused by the tobacco industry's decisions.

Towards the beginning of the film, when Wigand loses his job and first speaks to Lowell Bergman, he has a meeting with the management of Brown and Williamson the tobacco company. The meeting first was to arrange Wigand's benefits and severance package concerning his firing. After those details are disclosed to him, the management team along with lawyers explain to Wigand that if he doesn't sign a strict confidentiality agreement, none of those options will be available. While trying to convince Wigand, the management team uses intimidation and threats to force Wigand into signing the contract for his family's best interest. The reason that Brown and Williamson were so forceful with the contract is because they knew without it Wigand would reveal the truth about the nicotine and content of their product. This is unethical behavior towards their Wigand as well as their stakeholders and is just more evidence that the tobacco industry.

A less significant ethical issue that occurred is the initial relationship between CBS producer Lowell Bergman and Jeffrey Wigand. This relationship should have never occurred and been dismissed immediately because Wigand signed the confidentiality agreement and the information that Bergman would be looking for was going to be information that was covered and protected by that agreement. Wigand decided however, that he wanted to continue to speak with Bergman about the potential interview