Freedom of the press is one of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. I am not sure the press is capable of using this freedom for the good of all the people. Some recent examples make me question their ethics.
Presidential hopeful, Rudolph Giuliani had a 140-page, planning book stolen, and the contents, reported by Ben Smith, showed up in New York Daily News, on Jan. 1.
The press forecasts riots when Saddam is executed. Sure enough, there are riots, after surreptitious movies of the execution are broadcast.
When a laptop computer is stolen or misplaced, the press is quick to point out the terrible danger to the public who may have their names, addresses, and Social Security numbers in the hard drive of the computer. More than likely the thief is too dumb to use the data, but if the information is given to him, he may be able to do some damage. It is somewhat like a child who is playing with some beans admonished, “Do not put the beans up your nose.” I have yet to hear of damages suffered because of a stolen or misplaced laptop.
Who shares the blame for Princess Diana’s death? Several of those involved do. Not the least are the Paparazzi, news photographers. Nine were arrested but later released.
There’s big money to be made. Two weeks before Diana’s death, the Globe tabloid ran eight pages of photos of her and Dodi Fayed on their vacation off the island of Sardinia, and boasted in a note to readers of paying $210,000 for them.
Prince William and Kate Middleton of Britain are another example of the excesses of the press. The quotes below and above were taken from the Internet. (Google)
“Pictures of the brunette fashion buyer, who has dated William since both were university students, fetch thousands of dollars from the tabloid press. Paparazzi follow her to work, on shopping trips and on nights out with the prince. One recent, widely-published snapshot showed Middleton receiving a ticket from a parking warden outside her London home.”
I am not willing to reduce the press’ freedom, but I hope the editors might learn to use some restraint in how they obtain and use information and payments to the source. Editors must consider the consequences of publishing or broadcasting the information.
Journalism schools may want to include a course on ethics. Not the course that prevents lawsuits but one that gets to the important aspect of moral responsibility.
Robert Doyle
Oak Harbor
