Ethical decisions must be taken in pursuit of stories

THE days of newspapers simply reporting the news that is given to them have been over for years. Newsdesks have to be proactive, now even more so given the intense competition among news sources. Reporters have actively to seek out information. There are many ways this can be done, from cultivating contacts to analysing information to putting two and two together and making the right phone calls, or simply going out and looking. But there are ethical judgments to be made.

The issue has been brought to the fore again within the industry after an incident involving tabloid journalists.

Is transport security an issue a newspaper can take a justifiable interest in? The answer is a resounding yes. It is part of a newsp...