Legal and ethical considerations
There are
constraints that are in place for TV radio and newspapers to stop them from
breaking the law.
Defamation
(libel/slander)
When a TV
station or radio station says something that isn’t true about someone libel is
when it is written and slander is when it’s said. For example.
David
Beckham tried to sue Touch magazine for $25 million dollars because they said
he had allegedly slept with a prostitute.
A Jewish
radio station JCOM had to shut down after George Galloway sued them for £15000
because they said he was anti-Semitic.
Court
reporting
The laws on
court reporting are that you’re now allowed recording devices if someone is in
court for a murder or rape case they have to be called an alleged killer or alleged
rapist before their trial. Not allowed to bring up past convictions. People
under the age of sixteen cannot be named along with rapists and black mail
cases.
During the
trial of Ian Huntley two beacon FM radio presenters discussed Huntleys
testimony. The pair where immediately sacked from their jobs and the radio
station was at risk of being held in contempt of court.
Privacy
The UK has
no laws on people’s privacy but the human rights act 1998 provides people “the
right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence. People
can get injunctions stopping the media revealing certain information on grounds
of privacy
Jeremy
Clarkson won an injunction banning his wife from intimate details of their
relationship, including allegations that they had sex after Clarkson wed his
second wife Francie.
Election
law
These laws
only apply to the media they have to be nonbiased once the elections start.
This applies to radio TV programmes and news coverage (only broadcasted though)
these laws don’t apply to newspapers magazines and websites because they can
support who they want.
The sun
newspaper in the 1992 general election helped swing the votes towards the
conservative party after the sun published headlines like "If Kinnock wins
today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights”
Ethical
considerations
In the media
it is an offence to say racial or religious hatred even if it is said by
someone else so producers must be careful what they print. Chat shows and radio
shows could still be prosecuted if somebody on a phone-in says a racist remark.
For example
match of the day had to blur john terry’s mouth when they were talking about
his racial abuse towards Anton Ferdinand because they risked getting
prosecuted.
Official
secrets
The official
secrets act was made in 1911 from concern of foreign spy’s and saboteurs in it
was revised what could not be held from the public and what could be withheld.
It included: security and intelligence, defence, international affairs etc.
Royal Navy
Petty Officer Edward Devenney has been sentenced to eight years' imprisonment
for breaches of the Official Secrets Act. He was arrested by Metropolitan
Police officers in March 2012 after attempting to pass classified information
about nuclear submarines to individuals whom he thought were members of the
Russian intelligence services but were actually officers of the British
Security Service.
Industry
and Professional Codes
OFCOM
(office of communications) OFCOM is a regulatory body meaning it is funded by government.
OFCOM covers
broadcasting and telecommunications the public can complain to OFCOM if they’re
not happy with something they see or here.
