Key terms -- Privacy, right to know, right to privacy, public figures, private figures
In the last lesson, we talked about a reporter's duty to portray accurate news, that you cannot libel or slander groups or individuals in a newspaper, on a website, or on a radio or TV show.
Today, we're going to look at the ethical questions journalists face when they weigh the public's right to know with an individual's right to privacy.
Point 1 -- potential conflict of interest. Reporters dig for information for a living they serve the public, and go on the principle that the public has a right to know information that is in the public interest. What does this mean? Consider if these scenarios are in the public interest and if you have a right to know them.
1. A new potentially deadly disease is spreading and a man infected with that disease is in a local hospital.
2. Police are accused of disproportionately targeting minority youths with respect to the public at large.
3. A soda company has been found putting a potentially dangerous chemical in their popular new drink.
What harm could visit you or your neighbors if you don't get access to this information?
When it comes to individuals, when is potentially embarrassing information off limits? Does an individual's right to be free from investigation outweigh the public's right to know?
Legally, and ethically, this often depends on the individual. Libel laws treat public figures differently than private individuals. The burden of proof for public figures to demonstrate libel is much higher than it is for private citizens.
Public figure: A politician, celebrity of business leader cannot base a lawsuit on incorrect harmful statements unless there is proof that the writer or publication acted with actual malice (they knew the statements were false and showed a blatant disregard for the truth).
Questions -- Are the following people public figures or private individuals?
1. President Obama
2. Beyonce
3. Tony Romo, the quarterback for the Cowboys
4. Principal Miller
5. Mr. Vela
6. Richard Jewell, the man in the Atlanta bombing case
7. You
8. Princess Diana
9. Princess Diana's son Prince William
10. Kanye West's and Kim Kardashian's daughter North.
Does a right to privacy exist? There are four definitions for it, but this is a changing standard
i. intruding into a person's solitude or seclusion
ii. publicly disclosing private, embarrassing or irrelevant facts
iii. placing someone in a "false light."
iv. misappropriating someone's name or image for personal advantage
As individuals we need space for personal development. We cannot discover who we are, what we want to be and what is important to us if we are under constant surveillance.
In a free society, we also need privacy as a shield from the power of the state.
At the same time, citizens in a free, self-governing society have a need to know. Journalists have to balance these conflicting rights, and decide on a case-by-case basis where to draw the line.
Point 2-- in trying to decide privacy questions, we are journalists need to distinguish the public's right to know, its need to know, and what it wants to know.
Which of these questions are answered by the following scenarios:
11. Principal Miller is instructing teachers at Eastside to change the answer sheets on standardized tests taken by Eastside students so that their grades are higher.
12. Mr. Vela is addicted to pain killing pills
13. President Obama has ordered spying on the President of Germany
14. A new power plant near Eastside Memorial is releasing lead and mercury, harmful toxins, into the air.
15. Princess Diana is having an affair with Dody Fayed, a rich heir to the Harrod's department store fortune.
16. Two Arab students are depicted as "bagmen" in the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.
Case Study
In 2011, the Guardian, a British newspaper, printed a story accusing reporters who worked for The News of the World, another British paper, of hacking into the voicemail of Milly Dowler, a 13 year-old girl who went missing in 2002 and was found murdered months later. The Guardian's story was proven true and caused a major scandal. The public outrage was one factor that led to the News of the World shutting down in 2013.
Here is the Guardian's piece:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jul/04/milly-dowler-voicemail-hacked-news-of-world
Answer these questions after you read the story
17. Is Milly Dowler a public figure or private citizen?
18. What possible conflict of interest did the Guardian reporters face?
19. Was Milly Dowler's privacy violated in this case?
20. Did the News of the World reporters only violate an ethical standard (privacy) or did they
break one or more laws in addition? If you say yes to this, tell me what other laws they broke.
In the last lesson, we talked about a reporter's duty to portray accurate news, that you cannot libel or slander groups or individuals in a newspaper, on a website, or on a radio or TV show.
Today, we're going to look at the ethical questions journalists face when they weigh the public's right to know with an individual's right to privacy.
Point 1 -- potential conflict of interest. Reporters dig for information for a living they serve the public, and go on the principle that the public has a right to know information that is in the public interest. What does this mean? Consider if these scenarios are in the public interest and if you have a right to know them.
1. A new potentially deadly disease is spreading and a man infected with that disease is in a local hospital.
2. Police are accused of disproportionately targeting minority youths with respect to the public at large.
3. A soda company has been found putting a potentially dangerous chemical in their popular new drink.
What harm could visit you or your neighbors if you don't get access to this information?
When it comes to individuals, when is potentially embarrassing information off limits? Does an individual's right to be free from investigation outweigh the public's right to know?
Legally, and ethically, this often depends on the individual. Libel laws treat public figures differently than private individuals. The burden of proof for public figures to demonstrate libel is much higher than it is for private citizens.
Public figure: A politician, celebrity of business leader cannot base a lawsuit on incorrect harmful statements unless there is proof that the writer or publication acted with actual malice (they knew the statements were false and showed a blatant disregard for the truth).
Questions -- Are the following people public figures or private individuals?
1. President Obama
2. Beyonce
3. Tony Romo, the quarterback for the Cowboys
4. Principal Miller
5. Mr. Vela
6. Richard Jewell, the man in the Atlanta bombing case
7. You
8. Princess Diana
9. Princess Diana's son Prince William
10. Kanye West's and Kim Kardashian's daughter North.
Does a right to privacy exist? There are four definitions for it, but this is a changing standard
i. intruding into a person's solitude or seclusion
ii. publicly disclosing private, embarrassing or irrelevant facts
iii. placing someone in a "false light."
iv. misappropriating someone's name or image for personal advantage
As individuals we need space for personal development. We cannot discover who we are, what we want to be and what is important to us if we are under constant surveillance.
In a free society, we also need privacy as a shield from the power of the state.
At the same time, citizens in a free, self-governing society have a need to know. Journalists have to balance these conflicting rights, and decide on a case-by-case basis where to draw the line.
Point 2-- in trying to decide privacy questions, we are journalists need to distinguish the public's right to know, its need to know, and what it wants to know.
Which of these questions are answered by the following scenarios:
11. Principal Miller is instructing teachers at Eastside to change the answer sheets on standardized tests taken by Eastside students so that their grades are higher.
12. Mr. Vela is addicted to pain killing pills
13. President Obama has ordered spying on the President of Germany
14. A new power plant near Eastside Memorial is releasing lead and mercury, harmful toxins, into the air.
15. Princess Diana is having an affair with Dody Fayed, a rich heir to the Harrod's department store fortune.
16. Two Arab students are depicted as "bagmen" in the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.
Case Study
In 2011, the Guardian, a British newspaper, printed a story accusing reporters who worked for The News of the World, another British paper, of hacking into the voicemail of Milly Dowler, a 13 year-old girl who went missing in 2002 and was found murdered months later. The Guardian's story was proven true and caused a major scandal. The public outrage was one factor that led to the News of the World shutting down in 2013.
Here is the Guardian's piece:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jul/04/milly-dowler-voicemail-hacked-news-of-world
Answer these questions after you read the story
17. Is Milly Dowler a public figure or private citizen?
18. What possible conflict of interest did the Guardian reporters face?
19. Was Milly Dowler's privacy violated in this case?
20. Did the News of the World reporters only violate an ethical standard (privacy) or did they
break one or more laws in addition? If you say yes to this, tell me what other laws they broke.