Can Phone Hacking Ever be Justified?

The phone hacking saga is not new, since around 2006, possibly before, we have known that phone hacking has been practised.

Phone hacking is wrong.  But so would a knee jerk reaction which clamps down on the press so much, it effectively protects the business of those in authority from being reported at all.

The issue with phone hacking is that, while it is wrong, there can be justification for it.  It very much depends on why the journalist or private investigator is hacking the phone in the first place.

The hacking of Milly Dowler’s phone and 9/11 victims was quite plainly wrong.  The reason they were hacked was to find a story, listening and even deleting messages in the hope to find something.

However, imagine someone in high office was syphoning off taxpayers money to fund drugs or human trafficking and a journalist got wind of this.  If they believed beyond doubt that this was happening, and in researching hacked that persons phone and found crucial evidence, this could be justified.

My point therefore is, hacking a phone on the off chance of finding a story is unacceptable.  Hacking a phone to find crucial information of a serious public interest story that would add to evidence already found is in some circumstances justifiable.

What is Happening to Our Media?

I’ve always believed here in the UK we are lucky to have a pretty good press.  It ruthlessly holds those in power to account, it informs the public, provides alternative views and so on.

However, I now find myself asking just what is going on?  Last week it was found out the ‘award winning Johann Hari’ from the Independent had been misleading readers with his quotes.  Now this week,  although a saga we have known about for sometime, we find out the News of Worlds phone hacking has gone far further then we originally thought.

Ed Miliband is not complaining though.  After the accusation last week of being aligned to the Unions and unable to talk about the strikes in PMQs.  He now gets to accuse David Cameron of being aligned with characters such as Rebekah Brookes and Andy Coulson.

This will run and run, the expenses scandal was so last season!