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K (e) stone Cops22nd January, 2010This week eTV news and the police have been at each other's throats over a documentary featuring a pair of thugs who threatened to perpetrate all kinds of crimes and evil during the World Cup. The problem boils down to whether eTV need to reveal their sources for the story in order to let the cops track them down and lock them up, or whether they can keep that information to themselves. In the middle of all this the source himself apparently committed suicide. It's all very confusing and actually quite important.
Of course the media are on the side of eTV, and they consider their sources and the protection of those sources sacred. Surely that can't be an absolute? What if someone threatens to blow up a stadium or kill the President? Is the journalist going to keep that information for his story and allow it to happen? The police say we must not allow scoundrels to threaten us on television. I'm not sure I totally agree with either side - but I think the Police are more right than the media... have you got any serious opinions here? G 
COMMENTS (2)
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Jaco Greeff - 03/02/2010
The media is more right that the police. If the police had the right to force journalists to unmask their sources, the sources will stop doing interviews with TV programs and then the public and the police will have no idea of what goes on in the mind of a criminal. I am almost certain that these 2 criminals spoke for a lot of criminals and catching them will not change anything. Say thank you to these two criminals for warned the police to be prepared of 1000's of criminals awaiting the 2010.
nicole kristen - 26/01/2010
I think that it should be the duty of Etv to work with the police force in order to help in cleaning up the country, and helping to clean up the crime in our country- especially before the world cup starts. YES, there are certain media ethics which do complY, however in this case i agree with what gareth says on what if it were a threat to the life of our president, or other people of power, then the media would have to comply. This is a scary situation, which i hope gets resolved. |
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At the outset, most people will take a position: Freedom of speech and the ability of the media to gather information and report stories about things, while keeping their sources privileged OR The right of the police to force eTV to give them the info. Which is more important to you?
