The black, the white and the grey...

You get those people in life that see everything as it is. Everything is in ‘black or white’. When I lived in America last summer, I always remember people using the popular phrase “it is what it is”. You either have something or you don’t. I think that the things people don’t have can really get them down. These are the ‘black or white’ thinkers.

Then you have those that see the hidden depths. When they look at a problem they can see the ‘grey’ areas. The ‘grey’ people are those that really understand the situation and can also see the overall picture. They also know that guts and intuition count for something.

I appreciate how much a ‘common sense’ approach in life can be valuable. Decisions based on logic and reality get people places. However, how boring would life be without the ‘grey’ people? They might live on the adrenaline of hopes and dreams but at least they actually live. Yes, the ‘black or white’ people might have made a series of decisions in life based on logic but I sometimes feel as if they think they can’t make a mistake. It’s ok to slip up. The ‘black or white’ people have to remember that the ‘grey’ people are there to help pick up the pieces if something does go wrong. The ‘grey’ people understand that there may be feelings of disappointment, anger or embarrassment. They can empathise with you because the ‘grey’ people know that life doesn’t always go according to plan. People hit bumps in the road.

The biggest life lesson for me is that no matter how bad things get, you have to keep going. There will be light at the end of the tunnel. Life’s challenges can only make you stronger. It’s OK to be upset about something but it isn’t the end of the world. When you come face to face with a problem in life, you go through the dark emotions but ultimately you need to remember that you have the ability to be happy and you deserve to be. Everything happens for a reason. The only way to cope is to hold on to the good things that life can offer. Don’t let negativity weigh you down. Life is too short to sit and dwell on all your problems. Life is out there and it is passing you by and before you know it it’s gone.

At graduation I went on stage and shook hands with one of the academics. He kept me up there longer than most because he wanted to say something to me. He said “Cherish this moment. This moment right now because you’ll never get it back”. I know exactly what he meant by that now. Make the most out of everything. Life is too short to feel sorry for yourself or dwell on minor problems. You only get one chance at this so laugh with your friends, go out for dinner, go for a walk, travel the world. Whatever it is that makes you happy, do it. If you feel low then go do one thing that you get enjoyment out of.

Put your life into perspective. There are people in the world who have probably had a lot worse happen to them. What’s the point in dwelling over what you don’t have? Count your blessings.  

Whether you’re a ‘black or white’ person or a ‘grey’ person, you have the ability to create your own happiness.  

Journalism's Dark Arts

It’s the type of story that Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks would be all over.  Lies, deceit, scandal and shame- all the necessary ingredients for a News of The World front page splash. The very fundamentals of journalism such as objectivity, democracy and truth are being questioned because of the circus that this phone-hacking scandal has created.

Rupert Murdoch and co. are finding themselves in a media whirlwind but for once, not the sort they expected. How has it come to this? How has a media giant like News International found itself fighting for its reputation?

In March 2003, the relationship between the Police and the media was questioned. Rebekah Brooks admitted to a Commons Select Committee that News of the World journalists had paid the police to obtain information for them. Coulson told the committee that the News of the World obtained the information within law and journalism ethics and only obtained information in this way if it was in the public interest.

In April 2005, private investigator, Steve Whittamore was jailed after breaching the Data Protection Act 1998. He was paid to illegally obtain information about celebrities and public figures. Police obtained information from his home which indicated that 300 journalists had asked Whittamore to obtain information from confidential databases on more than 13,000 occasions.

Two years later, News of the World Royal correspondent, Clive Goodman and private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire were sentenced to jail for illegally hacking into the phones of the Royal family.

Four years on, the News of World is no more. The Murdochs have closed down the long standing newspaper due to the new evidence that has emerged. Hacking into the voicemail messages of murdered school girl, Milly Dowler, was the final nail in the coffin for the title.

Some believe that the lack of evidence made public in the 2007 investigation is an indication of the Police’s close relations with the press.

Journalists have the power to decide what angle to tell a story in. Therefore, my theory is that the Police probably wanted to look as if they did something about the scandal but didn’t divulge the true extent of it, in order to maintain a good relationship with the press. I also think that some politicians follow suit.

The bottom line is that it’s illegal to intercept voicemail messages under Section 1 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). However, how has such criminality entered into this profession?  My theory is that it has always been there but News Corp has just got caught in the act. I’m not saying that all journalists would take the same measures to get a story but I believe many have went to similar lengths in the past. An anonymous source told the Guardian-

"I'm damn sure if we'd had mobiles when I was on the road we'd have been listening in...After all, we got up to every other trick in the book. And don't go on about that public interest nonsense. We did what we did because the desk was always on our backs to get the story. “(Anonymous, Guardian)


Journalists are increasingly faced with the pressure of commercialisation. They are put under pressure to get a ‘juicy’ front page spread in order to bring in more readers and revenue. However, if anything, News Corp has taught us that ethics need to come first.

Investigative journalism involves uncovering wrong-doing through original research about something which a person or organisation is trying to keep a secret. It's the type of journalism that tends to dig out information, by any means necessary but for the right reasons. The ends have to justify the means. The story has to be in the public interest. It seems to me that the News of the World carried out a lot of fishing expeditions rather than hard-hitting journalism.  The real danger is that there seems to be varying degrees in opinion, in terms of what journalists would find to be acceptable conduct.

The way of maintaining ethical principles is through journalism guidelines and this need is reflected in the many regulatory bodies that exist (the Press Complaints Commission, Ofcom and the National Union of Journalists). However, the powers of these regulatory bodies need to be revised. Many of the regulators don’t have strict enough punishments for journalists who step over the mark. That is why this public inquiry into the News of the World is essential. It has the potential to change the very structure of the media industry and its accountability systems. We can learn from this. I hope that the term ‘news-hack’ will not hang over our future press. I hope that one day the public will trust journalists to provide information but to also maintain the quality of that information.