Applied Ethics, Research Paper Example

People who are featured in news stories have the right to privacy while journalists are obliged to concentrate on issues. It is unacceptable to inquire and intrude into the privacy of an individual unless the individual gives consent; all these fall under the code of privacy. In Kenya, people have never voiced complaints about media intruding into people’s private lives (Fink, 18). Many public personalities can be featured in news and media articles: however, journalists have decided to focus on ordinary people. Some of these public figures acquired wealth through dubious and mysterious means, thus gaining quick entrance into richness yet they remain private. This is despite the fact that their personal data is of great interest, which should be the focus of media interests. Journalists developed a brief interest in the private life of president Kibaki, which saw them, write stories about his talent in playing golf. When he issued threats to journalists that his private life should not be made public, they decided to drop the stories. Even though the privacy ethical code does not include details of magnitude of invasion, it has been suggested that media intrusion in personal lives is where the issues brought to the eyes of the public are of high offense and disclosing such information has insufficient interest from the public (Patterson, and Lee 23).

Before any news articles are published, editors are required to select and remove inappropriate content because they have the final word. They should ensure that they effect quality control, screening mechanisms and verification measures. Though concerns are emerging, about quark journalists who are intruding into people’s privacy, some of the content they publish is likely to play an integral role. This means that the pictures and stories they publish will tell public official including public administrators and politician in everything they undertake whether journalists are present or not, will be made public. Even after introducing the Act on freedom of information across the globe, nations are still exerting control over information flow about the private lives of people. In America, laws protecting the private lives of people are expanding. The scopes of these laws are expanding, as well (Fink, 44).

The common self-regulation concept is battling threats arising from the war between privacy and journalism. After a long war between the later in the increasing rivalry between personal privacy and freedom of speech, the privacy law and the media industry are at the helm of a war which is likely to oversee the end of self-regulation (Bertrand, 29). However, there are fears that in relevance to journalism in Kenya and the minimal self regulation prevail because media professionals and media houses are not treating people’s lives in news, in the context of newsworthiness. This has not warranted investigations likely to result in publishable news stories and articles. Looking at Britain, since the year 2000, the Act governing Human Rights has enabled citizens to enjoy freedom to speech. Further, this act has legally granted them their privacy rights. Though the war between privacy and journalism is still raging in Kenya, they have allowed the courts to resolve the battle by acting as referees. This implies that it is an issue of time before Kenya puddles in similar shoes. Just as journalists in Britain. However, with the advances in African culture, this will not be permanent because countries such as Kenya have opened their doors to welcome western values. With expansions in professional journalism training, the quality of Kenyan journalism has the potential to improve (Patterson, and Lee 55).

Work Cited

Fink, Conrad C. Media Ethics. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2010. Print.

Patterson, Philip, and Lee Wilkins. Media Ethics: Issues and Cases. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2007. Print.

Bertrand, Claude-Jean. Media Ethics & Accountability Systems. New Brunswick [u.a.: Transaction Publ, 2009. Print.