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Telford Grooming Story - Journalism Practice and Principles Essay…
Telford Grooming Story - Journalism Practice and Principles Essay
Mirror -
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/britains-worst-ever-child-grooming-12165527
1,000 children since 1980s
3 people murdered
2 people died in tragedies linked to the scandal
Mirror's 18 month investigation found:
social workers knew of abuse in 1990's,took decade to launch probe
council staff viewed abused children as prostitutes
authorities failed to keep details of abusers from Asian communities - fear of racism
police failed to investigate until MP intervened
2010-2012:
police probe dubbed Operation Chalice identifies a potential 200 abuser but only 9 are jailed.
two further probes collapse
Investigative reporting
most investigations begin with the journalist having some notion of who the 'guilty' person/organisation is
journalist seeks to uncover the evidence which will sustain that charge
if during, material is found that suggests the original assumptions of guilt is mistaken - must cease the investigation or produce a story vindicating the subject
Threats to investigative reporting
time
cost
PR agenda
owner agenda
shareholder agenda
poor training
Good investigative reporting has:
Thoroughness - never let facts get in the way of a good story
Validity - check facts with reliable sources
Openness
Accountability to newsroom, regulation and audience
Accuracy
"That the subject of the story involves something of reasonable importance to the reader or viewer; and that others are attempting to hide these matters from the public" NORTHMORE 2001
Investigative reporting differs substantially from other reporting because it involves original research into wrong-doing, because someone is trying to keep the information secret, and because the stakes tend to be higher
RANDALL 2000
"a free press using fair techniques of investigative journalism is an indispensable asset to our democracy", contributing to "the preservation of standards in public life" - DOIG 1997. Nolan committee on standards in public life 1955
Press as a fourth estate
' Journalists have been described as a fourth estate of the realm, the eyes-and-the-ears of the people, acting in the public interest
HARCUP 2004
space within people can be informed and debate without government intervention
journalism being a check on the elite - watchdog
not a lapdog - not wanting to be penalised by government
the fourth estate encompasses all of those who report the news
used to accentuate the freedom of the press
The ideal of the watchdog press received considerable support both from working journalists and from the general public
PROTESS 1992
"the fourth estate keeps government, legislations and big businesses in check by keeping society or the public informed. investigative journalism plays a big part in uncovering bribery and corruption"
THE MEDIA ONLINE
"Today, governments that claim to act in the public interest must face daily scrutiny of their actions. They must be called to account when overstepping the bounds of what citizens will support, or when taking actions that are clearly not in our interest. We rely on journalists and the news media to do this job on our behalf" THE CONVERSATION
Moral Panics
Breaking the silence, making the claim: more frequently now than three decades ago, the media are in the claims-making business themselves. Media exposures. Would you like a pedophile as your neighbour? FOLK DEVILS AND MORAL PANICS COHEN
Sometimes the object of the panic is quite novel and at other times it is something which has been in existence long enough, but suddenly appears in the limelight. At other times its more serious and long-lasting repercussions and might produce such changes as those in legal and social policy or even in the way society conceives itself FOLK DEVILS AND MORAL PANICS COHEN
It must be 'manifested or measurable in concrete way such as public opinion polls, public commentary in the form of media attention, proposed legislation, social movement activity and so on' GOODE AND BEN-YEHUDA 1994
"The media are a particularly powerful set of actors in the creation of a moral panic. Typically, news media coverage of certain events involving alleged folk devils is distorted or exaggerated. Public concern and anxiety are heightened by journalistic hyperbole" PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
Journalistic bodies
ETHICAL JOURNALISM NETWORK: five core principles of journalism
truth and accuracy
independence
fairness and impartiality
humanity
accountability
MEDIA REFORM COALITION
ethical journalism:
public interest defence: with a clear public interest defence in place to protect responsible journalism, should be possible to ensure that codes of ethical conduct are upheld and that those who choose willfully to ignore them will face some form of legal censure
investigative and local journalism:
no lack of demand for news in the UK, there is an increasing unwillingness to fund more expensive or less commercially attractive forms of news in a highly unstable climate
NUJ CODE OF CONDUCT
a journalist
upholds and defends the principle of media freedom,
the right of freedom of expression and right of public to be informed
differentiates between fact and opinion
does nothing to intrude into anybody's private life, unless justified by overriding consideration of public interest