[Very Short Introductions 139] • Journalism

In Journalism, Ian Hargreaves uses his unique position within the media to examine how we get this information and the many practical, political, and professional decisions that the journalist has to make, as part of the process of delivering that information to us.Hargreaves argues that the core principles of "Freedom of the Press" and the necessity of exposing the truth are as vital today as they ever were. He examines the ethical responsibility of the journalist to respond to the demands of civil society, as opposed to the demands of the state, and focuses on contentious issues in contemporary journalism, such as intrusion, lack of accountability, obscenity, trivialization, rumor-mongering, and libel.