Law and privacy protection in journalistic codes of conduct

Abstract

Privacy is no longer what it used to be. The cultural transformations arising from the latest technological advances has helped to redefine the contours of the intimacy. Cameras everywhere, increasingly popular mobile devices capable of capturing any movement, and systems for monitoring, tracking and mass surveillance make “to be alone” almost impossible these days. At the same time, billions of people expose themselves on social networks and the media tightens the noose to satisfy the right to information. In this context of dissolution of the intimate life, we evaluate how privacy is stressed in twenty deontological codes of journalism. We analyze how the subject is managed, what depth and what recommendations are given to professionals to attend this right. The results point to superficiality, outdatedness and insufficiency of the codes to deal with the issue.