Annotated Bibliography

Technology is forever evolving, making the very definition of journalism a subject of ambiguity. As individuals try to decipher the impact of the media revolution, one must forever question the moral and ethical foundations in which one has the right to broadcast.

To hack ones phone, or not to hack ones phone: that is the question.

(Journal article)

Podger, P. J. (2009). The limits of control. American Journalism Review, 31(4), 32-37. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/366435584?accountid=14723

Pamela J. Podger, a freelance writer and adjunct journalism professor at the University of Montana, reflects on how social media is creating new ethics guidelines for traditional news organizations. Social media blurs the lines between the private and professional lives of users – a distinction often confused by journalists. Podger recognizes that this has transformed journalistic etiquette. The social media revolution has jeopardised the power of professional journalism.  Podger acknowledges, “Mainstream media’s traditionally authoritative voice is a thing of the past.” Citizens now hold publication rights, and can instantly interact with the international community. The authors advice to journalists is self-identification, and to publicly reveal oneself as a representative of a particular news organization. Webbmedia Group principal consultant Amy Webb says, "When a New York Times reporter logs on to Facebook from his mobile phone, he's sharing a lot more information than his status updates. He's sharing the content he wrote and his location. There are safety and privacy issues around this." As the world of journalism continues to evolve, so too will ethics and safety codes. This is a reality one must accept, evident in the three articles seen below. Podger’s numerous interviews conducted with professional journalists provide a credible base for the investigation of media ethics.

(Online newspaper article)

Crouch, D. (2012, February 21). Arab media make the most of citizen journalism. Financial Times via ft.com. Retrieved from http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6e224b6a-5bb2-11e1-a447-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1vXvalvmi

David Crouch, a news editor at the Financial Times, analyses the role of citizen journalism in disseminating previously inaccessible news reports. Traditional media, writes the Europe specialist, can no longer be relied upon for the supply of free press, especially in the Arab world. The Committee to Protect Journalists is a non-profit organization promoting free press by granting journalists the right to publish without the fear of reprisal (Committee to Protect Journalists, n.d.) This organization’s annual report acts as the key topic of the article, increasing its credibility. Its report recognizes the ability of citizen journalism to act as the “political cover” in order for traditional news organisations to publish subjects previously kept “under wraps”. Crouch presents a well-scoped article analyzing the convergence of traditional and new media in the Middle East, Egypt and Northern Africa. The global phenomenon of citizen journalism poses a threat to repressive regimes. These regimes, “recognise what’s at stake if they lose control of the information sphere, and they are determined to prevent that,” says Joel Simon, the CPJ’s executive director. Such a prevention may lead to further restrictions on press, and even the injury or death of journalists, evident in the disintegrating regimes of Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. Crouch closes the article by revealing the plea journalists in Tunisia and Syria, to “undo the decades of decay in our industry” caused by strict media control, and accept the ethical duty of broadcasting truth. Despite the accepted journalistic code which endeavours to engage in truthful reporting, journalists must be careful not to step beyond ethical boundaries, as seen in the sources by Suzanna Andrews, and Glenda Cooper.

(Magazine article)

Andrews, S. (2012, February). The Mystery Woman Behind the Murdoch Mess: Untangling Rebekah Brooks. Vanity Fair. Retrieved from http://www.vanityfair.com/business/2012/02/rebekah-brooks-201202

Suzanna Andrews, a contributing editor of Vanity Fair, demonstrates a depth of knowledge only an experienced journalist can attain. Andrews bases her 8000 word article on the interviews of journalists, employees, employers, and friends of Rebekah Brooks. Unlike many current stories involving Rebekah Brooks, Vanity Fair attempts to sell the story of the News Limited ‘goddess’ as a soft news story, attracting readers interested in lifestyle pieces, rather than hard news. Andrews opens her story by discussing Brooks’ wedding to “international playboy” Charlie Brooks, by commenting on the plethora of celebrity guests who attended, including the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the then Opposition Leader David Cameron, and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. “As the 200 guests sipped champagne by the lake that day,” wrote Andrews, “few could imagine how fast Rebekah Brooks would fall.” Two years later Brooks was arrested and interrogated by Scotland Yard “in connection with allegations of corruption and phone hacking”. Power, manipulation and social climbing, act as key themes her story. Brooks went beyond any code of ethics – defying citizens of any type of privacy. Possibly the new code of journalistic ethics proposed by Pamela Podger, didn’t quite reach the desk Brooks in time. As of May 2012, Brooks faces three charges of conspiracy in perverting the course of justice, including the alleged removal of seven cases of material from the archive of News International and the concealing of documents and computers from officers investigating phone hacking (Laville, 2012).

(Chapter from book)

Cooper, G. (2012). Hacking book: newspapers should use Facebook content more carefully. In R. L. Keeble, & J. Mair (Ed.), The phone hacking scandal: journalism on trial. Retrieved from

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2012/mar/30/phone-hacking-socialnetworking

Glenda Cooper, a journalist and academic, brings an experienced perspective to the distinction of social media as either a ‘public’, or ‘private’ domain (Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, n.d.). Simply, Cooper acknowledges the disconnected interpretation of social media between journalists and users. The author uses the case of Amanda Knox who was arrested for the then alleged murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher, as a backdrop to expose the possibility of harmful self-exposure on social media. Both females’ Facebooks “proved gold dust for journalists looking for colour”, rich with photographs, comments, and videos. Cooper holds no accusation towards the news organizations, such as the Daily Mail, which published an article titled, “FoxyKnoxy: inside the twisted world of flatmate suspected of Meredith’s murder”, but contrastingly recognizes it as an ‘invasion of privacy’ initiated by the girls themselves. In accordance with the rulings of the Press Complaints commission, Cooper agrees that data entered on the public domain, runs the risk of publication in mainstream media, if it follows public interest. This comprehensive article successfully presents the host of new ethical challenges pinned on society by social media. It’s scope stretches beyond the case of Amanda Knox, and draws upon the Dunblane massacre, the murder of Benazir Bhutto and the alleged murder of Rebecca Leighton, for examples.

Reference List

Laville, S. (2012, May 16). Rebekah Brooks faces charges of perverting course of justice over phone hacking. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retreieved from http://www.smh.com.au/world/rebekah-brooks-faces-charges-of-perverting-course-of-justice-over-phone-hacking-20120515-1yp2v.html

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. (n.d.) Fellowships - Glenda Cooper. Retrieved from http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fellowships/visiting/past-visiting-fellows/glenda-cooper.html

Committee to Protect Journalists. (n.d.) About CPJ - Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from http://www.cpj.org/about/