An analysis of imposing stricter controls on the press
Freedom of the press is a right that citizens can deliver news reports and express opinions through published materials and electronic media without interference of the government, it has been widely considered as the foot stone of a democratic modern country. The functions of the press is not only delivering news, but also reflecting the will of the people and provided a platform for people to criticize and monitor the government. By doing so, the press is endlessly shaping public opinion, it can easily affect the future career of politicians, force the government to issue or amend laws and even organize a protest against the authority. However, the press is also surrounded by controversies …show more content…
The most recent example is the News International phone-hacking scandal, several British newspapers including the News of the World, which published by the News International was involved. Employees of these newspapers were accused of hacking into certain people’s mobile phone voice mail. More than 4000 people has been identified as the possible victims by the police, later on 600 people were specified as victims of this massive criminal offence. In July 2011, it was revealed the phone-hacking was targeted on politicians, celebrities, actors, sports people, relatives of dead UK soldiers, victims of 7/7 London bombings and relatives of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler. The public pressure and boycott of advertisers eventually forced the owner of News of the World to close it down, till 24 July 2011, 8 people were charged (BBC News, 2012). Facing the competition of social media, traditional media like newspapers and televisions will take chances in gray area or even illegal methods to get exclusive news, such as secretly telephotos of certain people’s daily life, secretly following, faking someone else to make telephone calls, phone-hacking and taping. These kind of methods are often hard to prove the damage then sufferers can not receive help from the police, thus it may cause interference to sufferers’ life, also impose second time damage to victims and their families who suffered from accidents or criminal offence before. Certain supporters of these kind of methods stated that celebrities and public figures should be tolerant about not having enough privacy, sice it is the collateral damage of being famous. However, the right of privacy has been equally given to every citizens, it does not varies from ordinary people to public
Freedom of the press is a right that citizens can deliver news reports and express opinions through published materials and electronic media without interference of the government, it has been widely considered as the foot stone of a democratic modern country. The functions of the press is not only delivering news, but also reflecting the will of the people and provided a platform for people to criticize and monitor the government. By doing so, the press is endlessly shaping public opinion, it can easily affect the future career of politicians, force the government to issue or amend laws and even organize a protest against the authority. However, the press is also surrounded by controversies …show more content…
The most recent example is the News International phone-hacking scandal, several British newspapers including the News of the World, which published by the News International was involved. Employees of these newspapers were accused of hacking into certain people’s mobile phone voice mail. More than 4000 people has been identified as the possible victims by the police, later on 600 people were specified as victims of this massive criminal offence. In July 2011, it was revealed the phone-hacking was targeted on politicians, celebrities, actors, sports people, relatives of dead UK soldiers, victims of 7/7 London bombings and relatives of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler. The public pressure and boycott of advertisers eventually forced the owner of News of the World to close it down, till 24 July 2011, 8 people were charged (BBC News, 2012). Facing the competition of social media, traditional media like newspapers and televisions will take chances in gray area or even illegal methods to get exclusive news, such as secretly telephotos of certain people’s daily life, secretly following, faking someone else to make telephone calls, phone-hacking and taping. These kind of methods are often hard to prove the damage then sufferers can not receive help from the police, thus it may cause interference to sufferers’ life, also impose second time damage to victims and their families who suffered from accidents or criminal offence before. Certain supporters of these kind of methods stated that celebrities and public figures should be tolerant about not having enough privacy, sice it is the collateral damage of being famous. However, the right of privacy has been equally given to every citizens, it does not varies from ordinary people to public