The UK Phone Scandal - Essay Example

The U.K Phone Scandal The world is taking a new shape everyday with the ever-evolving technology. Though positively impacting the society, technological advancement has tremendously increased uncivilized behaviors within the society as a result of increased crimes. Further, technology has diversely led to innovation and invention of new machines in the society. Technological revolution has affected electronics manufacturers positively. Change in technology has led to both optimistic and pessimistic impacts to communication. Communication practices and media of communication have with time mutated, becoming self-organized, and wholly evolving to new forms (McQuail, 2008:214). Outcomes of these new forms of communication systems and practices are often not predictable. This paper discusses in depth how the recent phone hacking scandal in U.K portray incidences where the popular press use their press freedom as a justification of their unwarranted media intrusion in people’s privacy. Research depicts that the cell phone is one fascinating garget that has undergone many changes and still undergoing technological changes (Wyatt, 2000:4). For instance, it never envisaged that the use of mobile phones would change drastically from voice mail communication to SMS then later to the internet use. Mobile phones are depicted to have a variation of features that make them powerful gargets. They not only serves as a means of communication but also installed with the necessary technology of accessing the internet, watching television, and playing games. In addition, some mobile phones have been installed with the GPS that enables the location of an individual. Therefore, change in the cell phone technology has increased dramatically. This change in the cell phone industry has been both beneficial and hazardous to the society. Although people have a positive attitude towards the use of cell phones, in some cases, they pose a negative impact to the society. For a better understanding of the emergence of media, it is necessary to understand public communication and media are much more than the deployment of communication technologies. The key factor that differentiates media and communication is practices. These practices include co-creation, conversation, collaboration, and community building. Cell phones, mostly used as gadgets of communication have been used by the U.K as a means of retrieving information from people especially the politicians. Scholarly research depicts that in the world of news and media all hours of the day, political advertising, and communication are viewed as a strong set of policy ideas. The press has always been extensively given the responsibility and freedom of carrying out research and informing the nation about the current and on-going issues in the country (Curran, and Seaton, 2009:6). However, the U.K press has gone to a further extent of using their freedom in intruding people’s privacy. Phone-hacking scandal in recent years has been an ongoing controversy in the international news. It is depicted that the press use phone hacking as a way of obtaining information. Researchers depict that the U.K press viewed their work as commercial rather than a responsibility. Legal, economic, and social context in which the media is allowed to function lead to an ultimate contribution in an individual’s political life will. For instance, media and its effect on political process health in U.K, remains a considerable issue under scrutiny (McNair, 2011:20). Moreover, the emergence of political industry in U.K has raised an argument on efficient and reliable political communication to democracy. Research depicts that most of these social reporters typically base their concern and focus on celebrities, gossip, and other subsequent trivia rather than social issues affecting the country. However, the media not only portrays the social issues in the society but also becomes a pathway for extensive political campaigns, civic actions, and professional and business use. It is through the presswork that people get recruitment and acquire job opportunities. Scholarly research depicts that the European states made it crucial the control of public discussions in order to enhance and maintain legitimacy and peace. Therefore, the states ensured that there was sufficient revenue provided while encouraging responsible behavior. This led to freedom of the press, which became an account for the historical journalists. Arguments arose amongst the early political parties that had their base on the legitimate tools to use for the competitions, including the press. During the introduction of journalism, it is clearly denoted that the members had a debate over the public affairs and a pessimistic connotation, a sign of political dysfunction. Due to their respectable positions, journalism partisans subsequently acquired a positive justification. Scholars depict that just like any competition experienced in market places, political disputes ultimately led to promotion of a general social good. As the press regulation relaxed in some states of Europe, they opted to collaborate with the journalism members thus forming a marketplace of public opinion (Keeble, 2005:171). Despite the problems portrayed by the freedom of the press, legal and political developments reify the professionalization project of journalism. Press freedom justifies that the state should not interfere in news media thus becoming pummel to the state. Politicians within the European states are slowly but surely reversing the notion concerning the freedom of the press (Curran, and Seaton, 2009:5). The demand of freedom of press in every democratic struggle had led to the drift of the state from the world of journalism. It is depicted that once during a British war, an English poet said that he required liberty to know, to utter, and feel free to argue according to his conscience, above all liberties. He went further to say that the state had no business in interfering in matters of the press. Incidences are depicted from the British states where the press used their freedom of press to manipulate and intrude to people’s personal lives for more information. Scholarly research shows that the News of the world paid a huge sum of money to private investigators who privately gave them information of royal family and their staff. In order to acquire this information, they used the phones where they could hike what an individual said during communication (Tumber, 1999:121). Regulation of the press post-phone-hacking remains an historical controversy. Researches depict that the international world news used private investigative services, which carried out investigation using the phone hacking process. Investigations on phone hacking and a series of civil legal cases led to controversy but there was development of a wider ethic scandal that involved much of News Corporation as wrongdoing (McNair, 2011:19). It is evident that the power given to the press turned the British states to a pool of misconduct. An incidence is depicted from the British phone hacking scandal that happened after the disappearance of a girl. Scholars argue that the News of the world, got involved in the investigation, and hired private investigators who hacked down the girl’s voice mail inbox. Reacting to the revelation of the incidence, the prime minister ordered the police to carry out an investigation to ascertain what had happened and determine whether phone hacking had taken place. However, the leader of the News of the world threatened the editor who denied of any phone hacking process. It was depicted that phone hacking was inhuman and was not supposed to be practiced in the News of the world (Tumber, 1999:236). Although they argued that they were to cooperate in diminishing phone hacking incidences that were highly widespread, the News of the world’s editor depicted that further revelations of wrong doings were yet to follow (Keeble, 2005:170). As argued from the freedom of the press, the government had no right to engage in their matters. Therefore, they used this opportunity to manipulate the nation by giving false information and carrying out alleged investigations using phone hacking. Once, a journalist on trial regarding the phone hacking scandal revealed that they created fictional stories that had no facts about the celebrities. Their main aim was to observe how the public reacted. This was because they had freedom to write any information and any prove against their wrong deeds needed subterfuge. Wherever the investigations took place, stories that are more outlandish were created to view at what extent suspicions would be raised. In essence, means of justifying themselves, these press phone hackers based their argument in desire for money and hyperactive interpretation of the world (Curran, and Seaton, 2009:8). It is depicted that those involved in phone hacking under serious investigations were later found out and arrested. Although, phone hacking used to be a major issue, the controversial question raises the reason as to why such cases were not displayed out for legal action measures. Scholars depict that in some cases, corruption took place, and the police were bribed in order to contradict investigations carried out. Intrusion in an individual’s privacy was unethical and inhuman to the society though the News of the world and other journalist viewed it as their freedom to obtain information from the public. After the arrest and detention of those practicing phone hacking to retrieve information from the public, people sort out in working towards development of a workable ground that concerned about public interests for legal purposes. The government emphasized on the responsibility of the press rather than their act of power without responsibility. For instance, it is the responsibility of the press to ensure they enhance a good social relationship amongst people in the society (Wahl-Jorgensen, & Hanitzsch, 2008:242). Research depicts that the theory of systematic distortion of communication operates in terms of power, strategy, and interest. The type of communication portrayed by the press, whether political or social, should be encompassed in aiming an ultimate goal of sustaining and undermining neoliberal authority. The phone hacking scandal which was accompanied by epic bribery, led to the consumption of British political, journalistic establishment, and law enforcement. The country was full of corrupt cops, craven politicians, amoral hacks, and evil pirate eyes. It is depicted that this predicament was because of the first police officer who accepted bribery thus motivating the others in the inhuman act. The U.K scandal in any case aimed at diminishing the corruption perception index. Scholars portray that the closure of the News of the world as a source of information to the public was a political turning point (Wahl-Jorgensen, & Hanitzsch, 2008:243). Although the European states did advocate the policy regarding the freedom of the press, they have been recently formulating ways of sweeping away that the notion of that policy. This is because due to change in technology, the press has used this policy to manipulate others. It is evident that technology has eroded the cultural practices of media in depth (Wyatt, 2000:10). Scholars depict that lack of trust in the media as an aspect of enhancing communication, results to an ultimate loss of transaction between the two. It is depicted that unless the journalists entangle themselves from the pool of greed, then the public will ever remain to loose their trust (McQuail, 2008:509). The question that comes into every individual’s mind is when this torrent of leaks, allegations, and counter-leaks will stop. For sure, the time to ensure this is implemented in the society is not probably soon enough. There is need for an inquiry led by an arbitrator in order to shine light on the cultural practices that need change. This inquiry should be aimed at covering the cultural and unlawful practices of some parts of the newspaper industry and enhance the relationship between police and the media. The public should also have confidence and trust in the decisions that are made. Given that cases of weary assurance doubts are still on about phone hacking by the News international, the government has formulated a different pathway that relies on assurances from the executives at News Corporation. Ultimately, the government aims at ensuring the country’s trust in relaying of information to the public (McQuail, 2008:508). In conclusion, it is depicted that technology, journalism, and media are all intertwined. Change in technology each passing day extensively affects media. It is evidenced that before the introduction of more advanced technology, the U.K press had a strong relationship with the public and politicians. However, the introduction of technology especially in cell phones has posed a negative impact to the British states due to the phone hacking scandal. It is therefore important for the journalists to understand that it is their responsibility to ensure peace in the country by providing the reliable and trustworthy information to the public. Bibliography Curran, J. and Seaton, J. 2009. Power Without Responsibility: press, broadcasting and the Internet in Britain. London: Routledge. Keeble, R. 2005. Print Journalism: a critical introduction. London: Routledge. McNair, B. 2011. An Introduction to Political Communication. London: Routledge. McQuail, D. 2008. Mass Communication Theory: An Introduction. London: Sage. Tumber, H. 1999. News: a reader. New York: Oxford University Press. Wahl-Jorgensen, K. & Hanitzsch, T. 2008. The Handbook of Journalism Studies. London: Routledge. Wyatt, S. 2000. Technology and In/quality: Questioning the Information Society. London: Routledge. Read More