The Leveson Inquiry
The Leveson inquiry was
a two-part investigation into the use of phone hacking by the press and the
police to gather information. The inquiries namesake was the Chairman of the
Inquiry, Lord Justice Leveson. The inquiry itself looked into the culture,
ethics and methods of the press and at the relationship between the press and
the public, police and politicians. Six independent assessors with expertise in
the key issues raised were brought in to form a panel to assist Leveson.
The main issue brought
up by the inquiry were the ethics of hacking someone’s phone in order to get
information for news agencies and the debate related is whether the press
should be under tighter controls to prevent phone hacking in the future.
I believe that journalists
have no right to invade people’s privacy. The only information that should be
used by journalists should but information gathered legally and ethically. In
order to go deeper into a story a journalist should do their own research and
find what they need. Though I don’t
agree with the journalists methods the press should not be more regulated. The
press are already heavily regulated and are often exposed to too many barriers
and even being arrested and deported in the past. To further regulate the press
would be to endanger freedom of speech.
Andy Coulson should have
been prosecuted and imprisoned as he allowed the phone hacking to take place. As
the man in charge he should be punished for telling and permitting his staff to
hack phones.
