- defamation (slander=spoken, libel=written) - privacy laws - child protection - health & safety laws to protect workers - general business laws too of course! - there’s a good summary of UK laws and regulation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism_ethics_and_standards#Common_elements
- do court orders that restrict reporting govern media outlets? Currently no, unless they are issued with the order see http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2009/03/31/blogs-and-reporting-restrictions/#more-2485: “ Court orders forbidding publication of certain facts apply only to people or companies who have been sent them. But this means there is nothing to stop bloggers publishing material that mainstream news organisations would risk fines and prison for publishing.”
- an injunction has been placed on newspapers banning them from revealing that Gordon Brown once beat up and hospitalised Tony Blair - you have come by this information - do you publish it?
A “free” press - removes the need for legislation that restricts press freedom But what about marking out “professionalism”? And how does the “alternative” respond to this?
For the PCC code of practice see http://www.pcc.org.uk/cop/practice.html
According to work done by our own Paul Bradshaw, independents are welcome to register themselves with the PCC and sign up to their standards. Other self-regulatory frameworks exist, e.g. WOMA for social media based advertising.
- what are the specific ethical codes of practice online? - these are the normalised behaviours that we are expected to adhere to online - some examples might be: the way on which we reciprocate in social spaces (e.g. Twitter); not flaming / trolling; respecting other’s content (citation, adhering to licensing etc. These are self policing largely as if you don’t play by the rules, you will not get by. There are exceptions.
- should media exist on the fringes of PCC type regulation? - is it our duty to use the opportunity offered by loopholes to publish things? - should we hide behind anonymity and low set up costs to “expose” things? - this would be the “radical” position or “thinker” position from last week
- What are the specific ethical considerations inherent in YOUR project? - how does this inform your approach? - How is this policed and why?
- you each represent your own “media” project - negotiate a self regulatory framework for ethical standards that you can all endorse - use the PCC regulations as a starting point