Private Matters

I agree with the courts ruling in the case presented in this article. Hacking into voicemails to get private information is ethically wrong! I just don't have respect for gossip tabloid papers anyways so I am biased. It's kind of like the paparazzi in L.A. Just leave these people alone! I think it's sad that people make careers and revolve their life around publishing people's "dirt." Even though there is a market for this type of journalism, the journalists still need to abide by journalistic codes of ethics. So this case with the Royal family where the journalist was jailed for hacking into their voicemails-I don't think it was wrong for him to be jailed. This whole debate between balancing privacy rights with the freedom of the press is a difficult one. On one hand, people who choose to live their lives in the public limelight know that media attention is something that comes with the lifestyle they choose to live. But I think the issue is when journalists go too far (mostly tabloid ones) and everything published is all about gossip.