The Sorry Tale of British Journalism and our Right to Privacy

Vian Bakir; Andrew McStay

The Sorry Tale of British Journalism and our Right to Privacy

Research output: Other contribution

Abstract

1.1 Focusing on privacy, we address the inquiry’s questions on cultural factors in ensuring that human rights are respected.
1.2 We show how British journalism does a poor job in promoting the right to privacy, especially given its demonstrable preference for a counter-narrative promoted by the intelligence elite on the importance of surveillance for national security. To explain this, we draw on published academic work on the 2013 leaks by National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, Edward Snowden, on mass surveillance.
1.3 We recommend that:
- Journalists should be encouraged to reject a simplistic binary narrative of surveillance
versus privacy: there are many shades of complexity within these issues.
- Journalists should not automatically privilege intelligence elite sources (especially
intelligence agencies and their political mouthpieces) but should give more prominence to those pointing out the human rights implications of security practices.

Original language	English
Type	Written evidence for House of Lords JCHR Inquiry on Human Rights: Attitudes to Enforcement
Media of output	online
Publisher	UK Parliament
Number of pages	9
Place of Publication	London
Publication status	Published - 22 Mar 2018

Publication series

Name	House of Lords JCHR Inquiry on Human Rights: Attitudes to Enforcement

Keywords

judiciary
surveillance
journalism
privacy
human rights

Access to Document

http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/human-rights-committee/human-rights-attitudes-to-enforcement/written/80564.htmlLicence: Unspecified

Cite this

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title = "The Sorry Tale of British Journalism and our Right to Privacy",

abstract = "1.1 Focusing on privacy, we address the inquiry{\textquoteright}s questions on cultural factors in ensuring that human rights are respected.1.2 We show how British journalism does a poor job in promoting the right to privacy, especially given its demonstrable preference for a counter-narrative promoted by the intelligence elite on the importance of surveillance for national security. To explain this, we draw on published academic work on the 2013 leaks by National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, Edward Snowden, on mass surveillance.1.3 We recommend that:- Journalists should be encouraged to reject a simplistic binary narrative of surveillanceversus privacy: there are many shades of complexity within these issues.- Journalists should not automatically privilege intelligence elite sources (especiallyintelligence agencies and their political mouthpieces) but should give more prominence to those pointing out the human rights implications of security practices.",

keywords = "judiciary, surveillance, journalism, privacy, human rights",

author = "Vian Bakir and Andrew McStay",

note = "Scope of the inquiry The United Kingdom has a proud tradition of respect for human rights. Those rights are supported by political parties, and such rights have long been an integral part of common law, as well as being enshrined in statute by the Human Rights Act 1998. However much rights may be recognised and protected within the legal framework, there can be barriers to achieving a culture which understands and respects human rights and practical barriers to those who wish to enforce their legal rights. In this wide-ranging inquiry, the Joint Committee on Human Rights is calling for evidence on factors which may impede individuals from using the UK{\textquoteright}s human rights framework effectively. ",

year = "2018",

month = mar,

day = "22",

language = "English",

series = "House of Lords JCHR Inquiry on Human Rights: Attitudes to Enforcement",

publisher = "UK Parliament",

type = "Other",

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T1 - The Sorry Tale of British Journalism and our Right to Privacy

AU - Bakir, Vian

AU - McStay, Andrew

N1 - Scope of the inquiry The United Kingdom has a proud tradition of respect for human rights. Those rights are supported by political parties, and such rights have long been an integral part of common law, as well as being enshrined in statute by the Human Rights Act 1998. However much rights may be recognised and protected within the legal framework, there can be barriers to achieving a culture which understands and respects human rights and practical barriers to those who wish to enforce their legal rights. In this wide-ranging inquiry, the Joint Committee on Human Rights is calling for evidence on factors which may impede individuals from using the UK’s human rights framework effectively.

PY - 2018/3/22

Y1 - 2018/3/22

N2 - 1.1 Focusing on privacy, we address the inquiry’s questions on cultural factors in ensuring that human rights are respected.1.2 We show how British journalism does a poor job in promoting the right to privacy, especially given its demonstrable preference for a counter-narrative promoted by the intelligence elite on the importance of surveillance for national security. To explain this, we draw on published academic work on the 2013 leaks by National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, Edward Snowden, on mass surveillance.1.3 We recommend that:- Journalists should be encouraged to reject a simplistic binary narrative of surveillanceversus privacy: there are many shades of complexity within these issues.- Journalists should not automatically privilege intelligence elite sources (especiallyintelligence agencies and their political mouthpieces) but should give more prominence to those pointing out the human rights implications of security practices.

AB - 1.1 Focusing on privacy, we address the inquiry’s questions on cultural factors in ensuring that human rights are respected.1.2 We show how British journalism does a poor job in promoting the right to privacy, especially given its demonstrable preference for a counter-narrative promoted by the intelligence elite on the importance of surveillance for national security. To explain this, we draw on published academic work on the 2013 leaks by National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, Edward Snowden, on mass surveillance.1.3 We recommend that:- Journalists should be encouraged to reject a simplistic binary narrative of surveillanceversus privacy: there are many shades of complexity within these issues.- Journalists should not automatically privilege intelligence elite sources (especiallyintelligence agencies and their political mouthpieces) but should give more prominence to those pointing out the human rights implications of security practices.

KW - judiciary

KW - surveillance

KW - journalism

KW - privacy

KW - human rights

M3 - Other contribution

T3 - House of Lords JCHR Inquiry on Human Rights: Attitudes to Enforcement

PB - UK Parliament

CY - London

ER -

The Sorry Tale of British Journalism and our Right to Privacy

Abstract

Publication series

Keywords

Access to Document

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