Sony hack raises journalism ethics issues, too

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[Commentary] “The Interview” episode raises so many intriguing issues, from the potential of cyberterrorists to invade our privacy and disrupt our lives -- if they can attack a major studio, is any individual, company or even government truly safe? -- to the willingness of Hollywood to defend artistic freedom. It also presents legal and ethical challenges for journalists.

The question of whether to disseminate something obtained by illegal means is not easy for journalists even when the information is of vital public interest (such as the National Security Agency surveillance revelations from Edward Snowden that exposed government actions that betrayed official statements and defied constitutional protections) and the motive is to stop wrongdoing. The lines get blurrier when the motive is extortion or profit, and the content is a private correspondence in a personal or corporate context.

There are no longer any gatekeepers of news in this digital age.


Sony hack raises journalism ethics issues, too