preview

Ethical Issues In The Movie The Insider

Decent Essays

The movie The Insider portrays what one man was willing to give up to provide the public with beneficial information. Dr. Jeffrey Wigand left his work in healthcare for a job with a tobacco firm, Brown & Williamson, to help develop a safer cigarette. The safer cigarette was a public image stunt and Wigand was removed from those efforts to research on cigarette additives. Wigand discovered additives used to improve flavor caused cancer and took the information to the executives, to have the additive removed. The executives declined the request and Wigand was fired from Brown & Williamson. Knowing Wigand had the aforementioned knowledge and other proprietary information, including the addictive nature of nicotine, Wigand was presented with a confidentiality agreement. In addition, he was offered a severance package and basically threatened to sign the …show more content…

Wigand identifies the ethical decision needed to be made is whether he should tell the public what he knows. He determines an optional action is to keep quiet. Wigand understand that by telling the public will benefit greatly. However, he also understands by telling he and his family will endure emotional stress over the threatening behavior of Brown & Williamson and inevitable lawsuits with them. Wigand would have broken the confidentiality agreement and in turn would lose benefits, which is not ideal for anyone, but Wigand’s daughter required daily medical attention related to spina bifada. The employees that worked in the tobacco industries would be affected and Wigand would take this into account. If he didn’t tell he would keep his benefits, the tobacco employees would not be in jeopardy of scrutiny or job loss. If Wigand didn’t tell he would have guilt and the public would continue to be harmed by the tobacco products. Wigand realized the benefit to the public outweighed the cost his family and the tobacco employees would

Get Access