Who rules //
Media Responsibility and Personal Privacy
Most people enjoy reading stories about famous people and their lives. Certain celebrities' pictures on the front cover of a newspaper or magazine can hugely increase sales, so media companies know that's what we must be interested in. A film star on holiday, a pop singer falling out of a nightclub drunk, a married celebrity spotted snogging someone they shouldn't be. It's all good fun. They're famous after all and should expect it. That's what a free press is all about.
In their shoes
What if it was you? What if you'd won the lottery? Great! The newspapers want a picture and an interview – wow! Fame for 15 minutes! But what if they then started following you around. They want to see what you're spending your money on, where you're going, how your life has changed.
They start finding your friends and family and asking them questions. Stories begin to get printed about your past. You open your front door in the morning to a crowd of photographers on your doorstep. How might you feel then? All good fun? Probably not. You would probably feel hassled and as if you have no privacy whatsoever.
Press protection
The 'Press Code' sets down guidelines for the media to ensure that they are acting responsibly and not invading people's privacy. This is produced by the Press Complaints Commission, which is responsible for investigating any complaints about what has been printed in the papers or magazines.
The Commission investigates thousands of complaints every year. If the press breaks the code there's not much the Press Complaints Commission can do – the damage has already been done. However, if the press goes too far, there are laws to put things right.
What does the Press Code say?
Among other things, it states that anything published has to be accurate and should never mislead people by using pictures that have been changed or distorted. Individuals' private and family lives have to be respected. Journalists mustn't pester people for stories and information. They shouldn't intrude on children while they are at school and they mustn't be prejudiced. Do you think newspapers do this? Which type of newspaper do you think is more likely to break the code?
The law
If the media release a story with completely incorrect facts, then the people or person it was about can take the company to court for libel or slander. Slander is when things have been said about someone that aren't true, for example in a TV report. Libel is when untrue things are printed in a newspaper or magazine. This is against the law and some newspapers and magazines regularly find themselves in court and in trouble.
Key Points
- The media have a responsibility to let us know what's going on.
- The Press Code is a set of guidelines that journalists should follow to ensure that people's privacy is kept and that reports are accurate.
- If a newspaper or magazine prints something that's incorrect, complaints can be made to the Press Complaints Commission.
- There are laws to protect individuals against libel and slander.
Reality Bytes: Stan Collymore
Footballers always seem to make it into the news and not always for the right reasons. Stan Collymore, a footballer, appeared on the front page of The Sun with the headline 'I lied'. The front page claimed that he had lied about being beaten up in a Dublin bar by some rugby players.
The paper claimed that the rugby players had signed a confession to prove it. It had actually been a stunt by the newspaper and the confession had been signed by getting someone to pretend they were a fan asking for an autograph. Although on the inside of the paper it did say it was a stunt, this wasn't made clear on the front page that people were more likely to look at.
Stan Collymore made a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission that this was against the Press Code. The Commission agreed and apologies had to be made. Do you think being a celebrity is a help or a hindrance in such cases?
Interesting Fact
- The newspaper with the largest circulation in the UK is The Sun. In 2004 over 3 million people bought a copy each day and it's estimated that over 8 million people read a copy each day.
Big Questions
- Do you think that famous people have a right to complete privacy?
- We buy more newspapers and magazines with stories about famous people than newspapers with serious news in them. Is it because of us that celebrities get hassled by the press?
- If we didn't have a press how do you think this would affect the government?
