Personal Position on Media Ethics



The word media originates from the Latin word medium which suggests a balance or structure. The concept of media is much more dynamic, it is not as simple as this definition suggests. There are no concrete rules with media and a balance between truth and lies has yet to be found. This has been proved in recent months as the phone hacking at the News of the World was exposed. Employees at the paper were accused of hacking mobile phones, bribing policemen and employing underhand means to obtain the most sensational stories. Exploitation and shady dealings were uncovered and the public were finally given the truth.

The Murdoch dynasty did their utmost to conceal the corruption knowing the scandal it would cause and the detrimental effects it would have for journalism and media in general. The initial investigations determined that the hacking was confined to celebrities, politicians and members of the Royal Family. However, on digging deeper it was discovered that phones belonging to victims of the 7/7 London bombings and relatives of deceased British soldiers had also been accessed. The boycotts that ensued led to the termination of the paper. The News of the World consequently folded under a dark cloud of depression after 168 years of publication. The paper had grown to be an institution for many and for it to conclude in such a humiliating manner is quite sad. Fraud, bribery and dishonesty were extremely common in an industry which is meant to deliver the truth. Many innocent people were left without jobs in a time where unemployment is rife due to the widespread recession.



Murdoch News Scandal- spiderbrazil.com



To add to this, the faith that people had in the media and the belief that journalists strive for the truth has been destroyed. Of course there are numerous rules, acts and laws to prevent a controversy like this but in reality rules are incapable of fighting such deceitfulness and greed. Media ethics explains to us the way media should work and in a perfect world journalism means getting the true story and reporting it back to the people. This is essentially what journalism is about.

Every young green trainee is battling to get their first scoop. However, like every industry corrupt practices are commonplace. There is constant pressure to get the most current up to date stories.
As a result investigative journalism is neglected. This can be attributed to budget cuts, laziness or the fact that media lawyers have the power to bring you in court for something you may say or even imply about their client. The demise in reporting is shameful but all is not lost. We must remember there are journalists, broadcasters and others involved in media who worked tirelessly to expose the Murdoch scandal thus presenting the public with the complete story, warts and all. Delivering a major scoop no matter what the cost is something that most journalists aspire to which may be why the industry is sometimes described as cut-throat. The battle between truth and deceit will continue to rage for the foreseeable future. As journalists we wish to report honestly and fairly on what is happening. Unravelling the tangled web of deceit and corruption that has developed in the media is not a rushed last minute job but rather a trusted and dedicated mission that we choose to undertake. We make the choice between integrity and dishonesty. Is it justifiable to sacrifice your morals for the sake of the best story?