Info ethics needed after News of the World scandal

Friday, July 15th, 2011

In the light of News of the World phone hacking, L’Osservatore Romano editor-in-chief is calling for better info ethics in the field of journalism.

“What happened has been very unfortunate and News of the World was just the tip of the iceberg,” editor-in-chief Gian Maria Vian told CNA.

Vian said that the mounting scandals involving the now defunct British paper show that ethical guidelines must be outlined for the field of journalism, as with any other profession.

The scandal makes it “evident that all information – and the Pope himself said this in his message for the World Day for Social Communication – needs a focus that allows for talk of ‘info-ethics,’ as bioethics is spoken of.”

The violations of privacy by committed by the News of the World reporters, Vian said, show a fundamental lack of regard for the humanity of the victims.

“Before information come the demands of justice and the demands of respect for the dignity of every human person.”

Vian said that L’Osservatore Romano is planning to address the scandal and the increasing need for “info-ethics” with an editorial by noted columnist Fr. Jose Maria Gil Tamayo.

Ethical criteria, he emphasized, must be respected by those in the field of journalism.

Sources