Phone Hacking Scandal: How Much Privacy Are We Really Entitled To?

In an industry where secrets sell better than anything else, are we the ones pushing the media to extremes to satisfy our own needs?

In recent news Rebekah Brooks pleads not guilty, along with a number of her colleagues, to charges concerning conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office and charges relating to the perversion of the course of justice. It is apparent that many are outraged by the scandal, however it begs the question of how much is too much?

This is perfectly demonstrated with Hugh Grant’s view on the hacking case not so long ago;

“Grant first mooted the possibility of legal action over phone hacking in May last year after he said he was shown evidence by police that his phone had been hacked. Grant also fronted a Channel 4 documentary about the tabloids on the eve of the publication of the Leveson report in November and has subsequently pledged to campaign for a new press law until the general election in 2015.”      http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/phone-hacking-scandal-hugh-grant-406272

These views were also demonstrated in the Milly Dowler case;

“Surrey police were told the phone of missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler had been hacked by the News of the World in 2002, but did nothing about it for nearly a decade, an official report by the police watchdog has revealed. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said that chance after chance to raise the alarm about phone hacking was missed by the force, with the truth only being revealed by the Guardian in 2011” http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/apr/24/police-dowler-phone-hacking

In this case, Southwark Crown Court held the pre-trial hearing Wednesday for Rebekah Brooks on several hacking charges, during 1^st January 2004 and 31^st January 2012. The second account between 9^th February 2006 and 16^th

October 2008. Amongst these charges was a further involving her personal assistant, Cheryl Carter, who was accused of conspiring with Rebekah between 6^th and 9^th July 2011. Cheryl also pleads not guilty. 

“Former news of the world journalists, the paper Mr Murdoch closed in July 2011 during the phone hacking scandal, also appeared at Southwark Crown Court and pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to illegally intercept mobile phone communications” – The Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/former-murdoch-editor-rebekah-brooks-and-senior-journalists-plead-not-guilty-over-news-international-phone-hacking-8645600.html

“David Cameron has acknowledged in private that he may be sitting on further cache of emails and texts to and from Rebekah Brooks after a limited search was carried out for the Leveson enquiry.”- The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/rebekahwade

“Rebekah Brooks has pleaded not guilty to phone hacking, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and conspiracy to pay officials. The former News Of The World editor denied five charges during a pre-trial hearing in a packed courtroom at Southwark Crown Court. Brooks appeared with several other defendants, including her husband, Charlie Brooks, a racehorse trainer, who pleaded not guilty to allegations of covering up phone-hacking evidence. –Sky News http://news.sky.com/story/1099699/hacking-rebekah-brooks-pleads-not-guilty

                             

Photograph sourced from The Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/8639673/Rebekah-Brooks-former-CEO-of-News-International-resigns-over-phone-hacking-scandal.html?image=5

Although the public are generally outraged with the concept of phone hacking we are still left wondering, is this really a step too far by the media or were these journalists simply doing their job to feed our ever growing thirst for invasive and celebrity news?