The Invasion of Privacy - Case Study Example

Introduction This paper attempts to answer the following situation. Suppose a local newspaper reports (accurately) that the teenage daughter of a local politician (known to be against abortion) had an abortion. Would this report violate this girl’s privacy? If not, why not? If this is an invasion of privacy, is it morally justifiable? Explain why, or why not. Base your answer both on the literature in the Callahan book and on your own independent arguments. Outline the main possible objections to your view, and respond to them. Provide your own answers to when in general it is acceptable to make public information about people in professional roles or their families, and provide other examples than that of a politician. The proponent of this paper tries to explore reasons why people may see the above situation as morally justifiable or if not, why they may not see it morally justifiable. Invasion of privacy is considered not morally justifiable and it depends however in some instances. However, the exposition of the teenage daughter of a local politician who had an abortion is another story considering that his father has a strong stand against abortion in the first place. According to the basic idea of Callahan (1988), the report of local newspaper can be defined in its moral significance if it has any impacts on its intentions and actions toward the purpose of other individual, toward the intention of the society and toward the formation of the local newspapers’ characters. In this case, intentions and significant actions are necessary to be elaborated so as to find out on what level they actually create a moral impact to those who are concerned. Toward the purpose of other individual There are actually many ethical dilemmas in any profession. In the case of Journalism, it is always faced with the quest for professional objectivity in which however usually confronted with its subsidiary position in line with political and economic actors (Splichal, 2004). As it commonly heard, responsible journalism is actually about providing genuine service to clients. Journalism according to Splichal consists of four types of services namely enlightenment journalism, entertainment journalism, advocacy journalism, ang gatekeeping or meditative journalism. According to Callahan (1988), facts are very important in making valuable decisions. In line with this, it is always important in the field of journalism to actually tell the facts based on its corresponding services offered to the public. Everyone therefore has the right to be informed about the facts. Thus, the act of responsible journalism is a task that needs to be performed without any other intention but solely for the purpose and benefit of those who need to be informed. The case of inquiry into Paladino’s pet is definitely a harmless and responsible journalistic task (Harris, Confessore and Rosenberg, 2010). However, such inquiry resulted to affect other political issues complicating the primary issue further and leaving the media in further discomfort. This is definitely the same with the case of a teenage daughter whose father is a politician and who happened to have a strong stand against abortion. As an influential man in the society, the politician or the father of a teenage girl has a remarkable authority to implement the law and what is actually considered morally acceptable. Abortion is viewed a crime and it depends however on how the law interprets such act. In this case, it is good to assume that since the father of the teenage girl is a local politician, then the authority to implement the law is before him. Let us assume therefore that the act of abortion is an unlawful act and at the same time unethical. The father of the teenage girl therefore is just doing what seems to be the good for all. This purpose is for everybody who is covered by the law. No one therefore is exempted. This means that the teenage girl is not exempted by the law. What seems to complicate this issue is the thought that the teenage girl is a daughter of a local politician who stands on his ground against abortion. This is pretty disturbing in a sense. However, as mentioned earlier, in responsible journalism truth shall prevail. This must not hinder the opportunity to allow everyone to be informed. The teenage girl committed a crime and it is on this concern that those who are abiding by the law need to be informed for this must reflect transparency. In this effect, the law will be revealed that it is fair. The exposure of information through the local newspaper therefore is for the benefit of everybody. The local newspaper has moral obligations. Callahan (1988) pointed out that actions and practices determine what seems to be morally permissible and impermissible and morally required for all moral agents. However, on the ground that there was no fact behind the exposition of the teenage girl’s condition, the local newspaper may have actually deprived the teenage girl and his father for their privacy including their rights. Moreover, if such issue was just fabricated for the benefit of the opponents of the girl’s father in politics, the local newspaper therefore has stayed far from its moral obligations which are all capsulated in the act of responsible journalism. As clearly observed, everyone demands for the truth from the media. Everyone commonly hates fabricated stories except however for those who want to fabricate them in the first place. As it can be clearly understood, from the basic idea of Callahan (1988), it must be understood that what seems to be morally significant is to understand up to what point those concerns are given the right and just information. In the case of local newspaper, there is no other malicious intent for as long as the only reason for revealing the truth is for the benefit and the right of everyone to be informed. In this case, everyone really needs to be informed because there was a crime committed and such needs to be determined by everyone covered by the law. This is the reason why a culprit needs to face his or her sentenced as he or she faced the entire nation because everyone is covered and governed by the law. Nothing is exempted. There must be no privacy for wrongdoings which happened to deviate from the law. Toward the institutions of local newspaper’s society People as commonly observed are known to generalize things. This is called hasty generalization in which people usually draw conclusion with only little evidence at hand. One simple mistake of any integral part of the media might end up destroying the reputation of the whole institution. In this case, if the local newspaper is proved to give information that actually invaded the privacy of the teenage girl and his father because there was no truth behind it, then the entire media and the institution for local newspaper might be put in a compromising situation. Clearly, Callahan (1988) wants to point out that a morally justifiable act needs to consider up to what extent it would affect other related concerned. In the case of a local newspaper, revealing about the teenage girl’s condition was not just a sort of ordinary information but a very intense accusation at some point. This would create any compromising thoughts against journalism if ever proved that there was no truth behind it after all. However, as mentioned earlier, it is always the case on any journalistic act to be always caught in the middle of any political and economic interest. The point is that this story will never be a big issue if ever the teenage girl is not a daughter of an influential man in the society. Nobody will care enough on the story of a typical teenage girl who had an abortion and whose father is a criminal. Nothing seems interesting about this issue in the first place because these are just ordinary people. Seldom or nobody would care enough to prevent the issue from leaking up to the public because they are just ordinary people in the society. Revealing stories like that of a teenage girl whose father is a local politician will somehow place the media particularly the field of journalism to a stand that it is just being fair and leaving none on exception. Journalism has moral obligations too. It is in this point that it needs to protect its interest as well. The only way to protect its interest is to do exactly what is morally justifiable. The media must instill into the mind of everyone that the report about the teenage girl whose father is a local politician was not fabricated because it is based on fact. Secondly, the media must necessarily emphasize that nothing must be exempted because the truth shall prevail in responsible journalism. What is most interesting about the report is that the local politician is against abortion and it was such an irony his teenage daughter had it into practice. This is a bit awakening because this issue speaks about practicing what one exactly preached about. Toward the formation of the newspapers’ character The local newspaper which exposed about the condition of a teenage girl who had an abortion and whose father is a local politician got to prove something. It depends however on its intention. The intention of course surely will be for its benefits in the first place prior to responsible journalism. Responsible journalism is its specific goal but one way to achieve it is to develop its credibility in the first place. It is hard to loss credibility because people rely on the right information every now and then. If people became dissatisfied with the information they get, this would mean loss of trust and eventually the end of business for the said local newspaper. The issue presented in the case is about invasion of privacy of the teenage girl and her local politician father. In the first place, the local newspaper must not view it as invasion of privacy because everything it does must be in line with responsible journalism. This is morally justifiable when everything is in line with transparency and everyone’s right to be informed with the right information is exercised. It is in this case that the local newspaper has momentarily built up its character and this can be identified as morally justifiable for as long as everything is in line with responsible journalism. The exposition of the teenage girls’ condition created a strong character for the local newspaper. Personally, I do not believe that there was any privacy that needed to be protected in the first place. First, the local newspaper must develop a strong and firm character to adhere to what is morally justifiable based on the issue of responsible journalism. I am convinced that reporting a case of ordinary people must be the same with those of influential ones. The media must be a healthy ground for a sound practice of equality. What seems to complicate the issue is the thought that influential people deserve to have privacy more than the ordinary people. I firmly believe that the local newspaper has just created a strong character in doing the act of responsible journalism and what is morally justifiable. Second, I believe that the local newspaper’s character was developed the moment and if ever, it was only the truth and nothing but the truth that was only exposed, and even outside the bound of political concerns. In this case, I personally believe that the invasion of privacy did not occur because everyone is accountable to what he or she has done which stands against the law, assuming that the abortion committed by the teenage girl is punishable by law in all parts of the world. Third, I believe that no one can suppress the press from telling the truth. Not even any influential man in the society who can intimidate the press. In responsible journalism, it protects no privacy for as long as it cares only for the truth that everyone needs to know about. Conclusion The case talks about invasion of privacy which personally I believe did not happen in the first place. People from all walks of life are tired of seeing inequality. The thought that an influential man commits mistake is usually a source of heated debate whether to expose his wrongdoings or not in the public. However, I believe this has to be done on a case to case basis. In the case of the media and specifically in the field of journalism, the truth shall always prevail. The truth here should be on the ground of responsible journalism. Invasion of privacy therefore sounds like an act contrary to responsible journalism. However, there are some cases in which privacy does not equate to how influential a man is in the society. There are some cases in which there is a need to necessary reveal the truth for the benefit of the society in general. There are some cases in which not telling the truth would mean injustice to others and justice for others. The point is, invasion of privacy can be injustice to others and justice for others at some point. However, in the case of a teenage girl who had an abortion and whose father is a local politician and whose stand is against abortion creates triggering thoughts. What has to be understood in this case is to look in detail if abortion is totally punishable by law. Second, it is good to consider that in letting the truth prevails; all political influences and other social influences must be set aside. References Callahan, J. (1988) Ethical issues in professional life. USA: Oxford University Press. Harris, E. A., Confessore, N., and Rosenberg, N. (2010) ‘An Inquiry into the Breed of Paladino’s Pet, and a Sharp Response From His Campaign’. [Online] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/nyregion/22trailer.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=responsible%20journaliism&st=cse (Accessed: 10 November 2010). Splichal, S. (2004) ‘Journalism and Journalists.’ International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 8000-8004. Read More