PCC Case Studies

Case Study 1
Which causes of the Code are relevant to these cases?

3*- Privacy- i) and ii)- Right to privacy, intrusion into any individuals personal life without consent
6*- Children- ii)- child under 16 should not be photographed on issues involving there own walfare

Do you think that the Code of Practice was broke in any of these cases? If so why?

No although he does have a right to priavcy this has been broken when they put it on youtube for the public to see. Therfore it would not have been the newspaper affecting his welfare but him and his friends and they were the ones who made the video originally. Also their right to privacy did not count as they did these acts in a public place
Could a public interest justification be made in any of these examples?

Yes, the child has deliberately made weapons and used them to cause vandalism to trains therefore the public have a right to know. The public should be made aware of these people as they obviously have the potential to cause harm again. By them posting a video on youtube they are making themselves aware to people in the public anyway. So the publication of the newspaper and

Case Study 2
Which causes of the Code are relevant to these cases?

3*- Privacy- Right to privacy, no consent to the photos
6*- Children- ii)- The child was 10 yrs old- could affect childs warfare.
1*- Accuracy-iii)- Press must distinguish between comment, conjecture or fact

Do you think that the Code of Practice was broke in any of these cases? If so why?

- Posted a picture of a 10 yr old girl, however she was in a public place although did not consent to the photo being taken
- The childs warfare could haev been put at risk as she is so young and her face is no pixulated

Could a public interest justification be made in any of these examples?

- I dont think they should have shown the girls face, however they were making rude gestures but this quite common at a football match. They were also in a public place so left themselves open to pictures being taken of them. I think the debate is more wether the girls face should have been pixulated but I do not think the dad's face should have been as he was in a public place and chose to make those gestures

Case Study 3
Which causes of the Code are relevant to these cases?

4*- Harrassment- ii)-They must not persist in telephoning
3*- Privacy-ii)- Editors will be expected to justify intrusions into any individuals private life without consent
5*- Intrusion into grief or shock- i)- shock, enquiries and approaches must be made with sympathy and discretion
6*- Children-i) ii) iii) iv)- Should be free to complate time at school without intrusion, no consent, was outsude school without schools permission, minors must not be paid

Do you think that the Code of Practice was broke in any of these cases? If so why?

Yes, Firstly they approched the boy outside school without any consent from anyone and he was only 15 yrs old, the journalist is believed to have offered the boy money which breaks clause 6, he was then continually contacted through phone and text and has now not been allowed to continue at school because he was seen with the journalist.  Therfore they have breached clause 6, the boy could have also been shock breaching clause 5, the suspect also had the right to privacy which the journalist is trying to breach by getting a picture

Could a public interest justification be made in any of these examples?

-No, because although it may be of public interst to publish a story on this, the 14 yr old boy should never have been involved and they have breached many laws in doing so.

Case Study 4
Which causes of the Code are relevant to these cases?

3*- Privacy-i)ii)- Respect for his or her private and family life and health, intrusion into private life without consent
5*-i) - Personal grief and shock approaches must be made with sympathy
Do you think that the Code of Practice was broke in any of these cases? If so why?

Although she is an actress and fans of the theartre and role she had taken may have been interested. I think they have breached her right to privacy as she had not even told her family about the preganancy and had told all the relevant people that needed to know at the time. Furthermore she then suffered a miscarriage which invades her personal grief and therfore if the independant had never have written the article nobody would have know she was even pregnant.

Could a public interest justification be made in any of these examples?

Although this was the second time it had happened and perhaps her fans would have liked to know. She was only 2 months into her pregnancy and had no revealed her pregnancy in any public places therefore public interest does no outweigh her privacy and health

Case Study 5
Which causes of the Code are relevant to these cases?

5*- Intrusion into grief or shock i)ii)- Apporached with sympathy sucide should avoid excessive detail
3* Privacy i) and ii)-  repect of privacy, complaint's own public disclosures of info

Do you think that the Code of Practice was broke in any of these cases? If so why?

I think the newspapers which reported and showed pictures before the womens identity was revealed was wrong however this women decided to commint suicide in a public place with onlookers and therefore was open to pictures being taken and attention being drawn to her. The only issue is the right to privacy of her family and freinds

Could a public interest justification be made in any of these examples?

I think this is within public interest as it was done in a very public way and she has no right to privacy as she is now dead. Her friends and fanily should be kept private however I don't think they breached the right into intrusion and grief as the coverage was brief and factual

Case Study 6
Which causes of the Code are relevant to these cases?

4*- Harrassment-i) and ii)
3*- Privacy-i)ii)
8*- Hospitals-i) and ii)- Journalists must identify themselves and obtain permission

Do you think that the Code of Practice was broke in any of these cases? If so why?

Yes, I think the code of practice has been broken, firstly on the clause of harrasment a journalist enters a private home and is firmly turned away and then he continues to call and leave messages and again is not given permission. Then the clause on hospital is breached as the journalist goes in without consent into his private hospital room and questions him without identifying himself


Could a public interest justification be made in any of these examples?

No, this has no public interest and the way in which the journalist has gone about getting information is wrong he is uduly harrassing the man in breach of 4 and 8

Case Study 7
Which causes of the Code are relevant to these cases?

3*-Privacy- i)
4*- Harrassment-i) and ii)
10*- Clandestine devices and subterfuge- i) and ii)

Do you think that the Code of Practice was broke in any of these cases? If so why?

They have invaded the womens privacy and have gone undercover usuing suberterfuge devices to collect information. They have also entered the home which is a private place and should not be shown to the public without consent. However the background information is important to the case and does have some public interest

Could a public interest justification be made in any of these examples?

As she is a  police officer she is a public role and therefore her racially- motivated crimes should be made aware as it has public interest. However I don't think they should have published any of the photos they have taken as this and invasion on privacy and  should not have gone undercover to get the information

Case Study 8
Which causes of the Code are relevant to these cases?

3*- Privacy- i) and ii)
6* Children- ii)

Do you think that the Code of Practice was broke in any of these cases? If so why?

I think that some of the code of practice was breached as they were unaware they had been followed around and had pictures taken with his children without consent. However they are in a public place and he is a celebrity which is well known therefore should expect photographers to follow him. Although it was a private matter it was done in a public place

Could a public interest justification be made in any of these examples?

As he is a well known figure he is of public interest so therefore he attracts attention, although they were personal matters it was in a public place and therefore again has public interest