New Media, Human Development and Right to Privacy Essay

Introduction

Privacy is the ability of an individual to seclude themselves or conceal information about themselves. The content and boundaries of confidentiality vary among different individuals and cultures (Seltzer, 2013). Privacy, however, shares common themes. Something private is considered to be sensitive. The extent to which privacy is breached and public receive information differ from place to place. Privacy protects one's personality, integrity, dignity, and personal interdependence. It involves freedom from disturbance and intrusion of private matters. Globalization has made it possible for private affairs of individuals being brought into public domain hence an invasion of a person's personal space. These have been fostered by mass media and development of the internet.

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Protection of Individual Rights to Privacy

In any particular country, privacy doesn't hold separate legal, constitutional status. The right to privacy has often risen from judicial pronouncements. Previously due to the lack of adequate laws to protect these rights. Claims were based on trespass and falsehood to a person. This method was inadequate as it did not protect the plaintiff from exposure to the public.

The Position of the Right to Privacy in the United States of America

The protection of privacy in the USA was articulated in the late 19th century. Although the constitution of U.S does express the rights to privacy protection, the bill of rights does. For instance, the first amendment contains rights to privacy of beliefs; the fourth amendment contains privacy of possession and persons against unreasonable searches. The fifth amendment provides protection and privilege of personal information privacy.

The Position of Privacy Rights in the United Kingdom

England has no written constitution, and judges commonly make their laws. Therefore, the right to privacy is not protected by statute, unlike rights to protection whereby courts may grant protection. They have often attached labels such as misuse of information, and breach of confidence thereby minimally using the term privacy.

International Treaties on Privacy

No privacy law is universally accepted. However, some organizations promote enforcement of certain concepts in different countries. Such as, article 12 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that no one is to be subjected to random interference of his or her privacy. Neither are they supposed to receive attacks upon their reputation and honor. Every person has a right to protection against such attacks and interference. The European Convention on Human rights under article 8 provides for respect of people's family and personal life. The article provides for protection of individuals against unlawful searches. However, the courts have provided for protection of family and private life.

Article 8 at other instances contains affirmative obligations, whereas the formulation of human rights prohibits states against interference of rights such as the state cannot separate a family that is under family life protection. The state may also be forced to be active for the effective functioning of rights such as enforcing access of the child to his divorced father. In Strasbourg, the European Court defines the fundamental right to privacy. The European Union requires that the rights of its citizens are safeguarded through legislation. Directives such as 1995 95/46/EC ensure protection so people's data.

India's Position on the Right to Privacy

The challenges on surveillance of police led to the evolution of the law of privacy in India. The Court of India got rid of the regulation that permitted people's monitoring. The court equated personal liberty to confidentiality. The court of India observed that Article 21 included privacy. In its observation, a person's house is compared to a castle and interference to somebody personal space is harmful to his or her health and happiness. The law of privacy in India is the recognition of a person's right to have own space (Frost, 2015). With the development of media, this right is often violated as people's information is widely shared without their consent. Privacy signifies a person's ability to determine the degree to which they want to share or withhold information.

Freedom of Information and Expression

A person's right to receive or send information in conjunction with freedom of speech and expression. A citizen of a country is entitled to use best means that they deem fit to receive or transmit data. The state and persons are therefore under obligations to respect the rights of the citizens and other people. The states are also under obligation to ensure that a functional environment is created under which these fundamental rights can thrive.

Human communication has improved tremendously in ways that could be seen as imaginable. Contrary to the past decades and years, technology today has improved therefore enhancing communication globally. Messages are easily sent worldwide in a click of a button. These milestones have been achieved due to various inventions such as the internets and electric gadgets. Its growth has matched the efficiency. In the United States the usage and ownership of new media are increasingly high (Buckingham, & Willett, 2013). People and organizations face complex challenges to respect the right to privacy. In mass media responding to issues related to privacy can be addressed through different elements of confidentiality. It is essential to appreciate the link between human rights and privacy, understanding the extent of the impact, collaboration with stakeholders an adoption of privacy.

Data security is having protections against frequent, malicious and sophisticated attacks and safety against breach of data. The link between human rights and privacy is vital as it provides a platform for the realization of other rights (Schauster et al.,2016). For instance, when a human rights defender's information is unfairly shared in a country with an authoritative regime. The defenders suffer a higher risk of security, liberty, life, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Mass media laws are the legislative framework in a given country that journalists other mass media organs operate. Political authorities are empowered to make rules that guide administration through the country or state. Therefore, philosophies of governing regimes affect the laws legislated thereby, in the long run, impacting the working environment of media. Ethics in mass media include the internal mechanisms that enable people to determine their actions, decide whether it is right or wrong (Christians et al., 2015). Ethics to journalists is voluntary and is well is they abide.

New media is defined as forms of communication that possibly share features. New media is achieved because of digitization and the use of devices for communication (Chadwick et al., 2014). New media can also be regarded as the social contexts that are associated with information and communication technologies. It involves the devices that enable people's practices engaged in the gadgets and the social organizations around the devices. It includes all the means, opportunities, avenues and gadgets that enhance communication (Olise, 2010). It is built to depend on the computer's capabilities that allow for interaction among various users.

Development is a process that brings social change thus allowing the achievement of human potential. It encompasses the totality of a person in both economic, political, social and psychological (O'shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012). It can be described individually as increased capacity and skill, self-discipline, material well-being, and responsibility. The development could be seen as a self-sustaining effort in achieving psychological, economic and cultural improvement and progress.

There is a need for a framework to articulate the research paper. A theory is defined as a set of concepts that present views of phenomena and specifies variable relations to explain the phenomena (Iggers, 2018). These research paper anchors on social responsibility theory, which holds the view that in as much as the media should be free in carrying out its obligations, it must carry out those obligations responsibly by protecting the norms, ethos, and values of society. The press needs to be conscious of its societal commitments. Social responsibility theory is a branch of libertarian theory that is among the normative theories of media (Nerone, 2013). The approach began in the United States in the 20th century during the Hutchins commission of freedom. The continuous change of the media environment has made it possible for the attainment of independence of media in the United States of America. The United States of America gives no room under the first amendment for laws curtailing press freedom.

Social responsibility assigns functions to the media as follows; informing people to enable them make self-determined choices and actions, making discussions and information of public interests available thereby serving the political system, giving good entertainment, protecting people's rights by watching and checking the government, ensuring autonomy financially, and helping the system economically through advertising (Greenleaf, 2012). Although social responsibility focusses on the need to be free from government interference, it, however, need to be mindful of the laws of governance and its duties to the state in which they operate.

In an era of new media, journalism has proven to be complicated. Journalists and those that are involved in the mass media know the profession to be draining at the same time exciting. However, others might view it to be an exciting venture. It requires sacrifice and determination amid dangers that face journalists in this profession. It can be more challenging in countries that lack adequate facilities and advanced technologies. Journalism in many countries around the world has embraced new media. The new media improves the profession of journalism. Video conferencing, email, microcomputers and the internet are some of the new media employed in communication globally (Halder, 2012). Although new media has political, social and economic effects, it is imperative to note that new media has immensely benefited journalism around the world.

The Internet has been an outstanding invention in information, communication, and technology. It can be defined as the global network computers that share and communicate freely (Solove & Schwartz, 2014). The internet can provide information about activities, individual and places to readers. Accessibility to the internet enables access to new information that plays a critical role in news gathering. Video conferencing enables audiences from different locations to communicate live. In mass media, video conferencing is essential as journalists obtain up to date information on actions and events happening on different places.

Privacy

Journalism involves publishing information such as news about governments, individuals and people. Therefore, a higher degree of responsibility is required from journalists. Journalism isn't for the faint-hearted and people who lack respect for the reputation of other people. It is preferably, for the sober-minded and mature people who act in fairness and have the interest of society at heart (Horvitz & Mulligan, 2015). Journalism will require one to adhere to the laws that govern the practice.

Universally, news involves events and activities around human beings. For instance, mistakes made, actions, achievements, inactions, nature, and failures. Although news revolves around life, success, and failure, reporting them necessitates consideration and professionalism. In reporting one need not destroy people's reputa...