ANC asks e.tv to do the honourable thing

Their job is not one of morals, they are reporters and as a reporter you generally need to set morals aside when doing your job because if you cannot do that you should go find another job. Join the police force :D

Everyone has their job in life.

Cops
Criminals
Reporters
 
Ronjay said:
I don't see a difference. These criminals say that during the WC they will do something to tourists. My made up terrorist says he will do something to tourists. The only difference is the scale.
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Yes, so if e.tv reported on your so-called terrorist they could also invoke "Freedom of the Press" and not be obliged to give any info to the police.

But your example is a silly one because if a terrorist made his identity know to e.tv there is strong likelihood that they will also make it known on TV unless he asks for anonymity. Then e.tv must decide on the public interest versus the imminent threat.

It is a right guaranteed by the constitution to e.tv to decide on the public interest versus the imminent threat. That right was given to them by the same government that now wants to force them to give up that right.
 
zippy said:
Agree that they cant arrest them, but if you are aware of the whereabouts of a known criminal or you are aware that a crime is about to take place or is being planned, dont you have an obligation, if not a legal one, then a moral one, to report this to the cops ?
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Not if you are a journalist. The are exempt because of Freedom of the Press. If a journalist interviews a soldier in the midst of a war who says "I am going to shoot some of the enemy who just happen to be citizens of your country" ... is that that journalists responsibility to put down the camera and pick up a gun and fight that soldier? Or is it his job to report the news? Why do journalists have certain rights of exclusivity or non-alignment during war... but now that they report a certain aspect of the "war on crime" they no longer have that right of non-alignment?

zippy said:
The fact that the cops are useless is besides the point. Journalists are not above the law, morality, or are they ? How can they hold themselves up to be the defenders of ethic's, morality etc., if they are not bound by the same ?
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They are bound by a duty to report news to the public. That does not make them participants in that news, only objective reporters. It is in the public interest to get objective news and impartial news. How can we trust the news to be impartial if we expect the journalists to take sides and to be doing the job of crime-fighting at the same time?
 
Ronjay said:
I would much rather see criminals behind bars then on TV.
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Nobody is disputing that. That is what we all hope for one day.

But to say that crime does not exist is silly.

Yes, there are evil bad criminals out there in the big bad world.
 
killadoob said:
If the ANC took a hard line and sorted out the justice system crime would drop, if the anc kept their promises of jobs and upliftment of the poor there would be less crime.
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they've been taking a hard stance since 1994...;)
 
Well as much as I would like the World Cup to be a success, I also believe the rest of the world needs to see the reality of this country:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LapFW3vr7HE[/ame]
 
Garyvdh said:
they did take action, they published a story about it. Freedom of the press says they do not have to do anything else.

http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/1996/96cons2.htm#16
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not talking about freedom of press, but if you withheld information from the state/police then you can also be triad alongside the criminals for the crimes they committed if found guilty. i

If I drive past someone who is dying on the street then I can be charged with murder, despite my affiliations.

The Media has an code to live with, but they may not express their right if it violates the rights of the victims.
 
Garyvdh said:
Yes, so if e.tv reported on your so-called terrorist they could also invoke "Freedom of the Press" and not be obliged to give any info to the police.
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Freedom of the press does not mean broadcasters are above the law. See my post above about every human right being subject to constitutional limitations.
As an individual I also have a right to privacy but that right maybe be limited by a valid search warrant...;)
 
zippy said:
Journalists are not above the law, morality, or are they ? How can they hold themselves up to be the defenders of ethic's, morality etc., if they are not bound by the same ?
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As well as the FIFA issue, this is a pre-emptive move by the authorities to stifle any reporting concerning criminal sliminess by ANC big-wigs. It would be convenient for the big-wigs if a precedent could be set and they could get on with their under-a-rock activities undisturbed.
 
JungleBoy said:
Freedom of the press does not mean broadcasters are above the law. See my post above about every human right being subject to constitutional limitations.
As an individual I also have a right to privacy but that right maybe be limited by a valid search warrant...;)
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exactly, but I don't get why the ANC has to make a fuss about it, get a court warrant then we also don't risk the criminals knowing that the police are on their case.
 
Morgoth said:
not talking about freedom of press, but if you withheld information from the state/police then you can also be triad alongside the criminals for the crimes they committed if found guilty.
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rubbish, that is exactly what freedom of the press means.

Morgoth said:
If I drive past someone who is dying on the street then I can be charged with murder, despite my affiliations.
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no, only if you had a duty to intervene or treat the person. an ordinary citizen has no such obligation. You do not know the law.

Morgoth said:
The Media has an code to live with, but they may not express their right if it violates the rights of the victims.
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rubbish. Go and read up on Freedom of the press. You have no idea what you are talking about. Their right to publish is protected by the constitution.
 
JungleBoy said:
Freedom of the press does not mean broadcasters are above the law. See my post above about every human right being subject to constitutional limitations.
As an individual I also have a right to privacy but that right maybe be limited by a valid search warrant...;)
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of course not. But they always have had a right to protect their sources. It is written into the constitution. If you don't like it find another country because this one has freedom of the press.
 
Garyvdh said:
of course not. But they always have had a right to protect their sources. It is written into the constitution. If you don't like it find another country because this one has freedom of the press.
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Look I'm not saying nothing about freedom of the press, only that in this case the station should give the info that they have to the police to remove a criminal element from society. They have a right to protect their sources but in this instance is it right to withhold info that could lead to less criminals being on the street?
 
Ronjay said:
Look I'm not saying nothing about freedom of the press, only that in this case the station should give the info that they have to the police to remove a criminal element from society. They have a right to protect their sources but in this instance is it right to withhold info that could lead to less criminals being on the street?
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They have probably sat down with their lawyers and had a meeting to decide whether it was in the public's interest to know the contents of this story or whether having two petty criminals arrested would be in the public interest. They must have decided that in this case it is more valuable for the public to know of the threat than for two guys to be arrested (and then released on lack of evidence).
 
Garyvdh said:
of course not. But they always have had a right to protect their sources. It is written into the constitution. If you don't like it find another country because this one has freedom of the press.
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Freedom of expression under which freedom of the press falls is (like all the rights in the Bill of Rights) not absolute and maybe constitutionally limited.

E.TV has now been subpoenaed to appear in court and let's rather wait for that outcome, instead of going around in circles.
 
JungleBoy said:
Freedom of expression under which freedom of the press falls is (like all the rights in the Bill of Rights) not absolute and maybe constitutionally limited.

E.TV has now been subpoenaed to appear in court and let's rather wait for that outcome, instead of going around in circles.
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haha, even if they are forced to hand over the details, I bet any resulting court case is then thrown out on lack of evidence.
 
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