Public Service or Illegal Act? The <i>Weekly Mail</i> and Bugging Staal Burger

Are there instances in which the media is justified in breaking the law? Part A describes debate within the editorial team at the Weekly Mail South African newspaper as it wrestles with whether to bug a meeting of right-wing extremists with a history of violence. What if eavesdropping could forestall a deadly event? Part B describes the consequences.

Case number: AKU-12-0002.0
Category: Journalism Cases
Topics: journalism ethics, international media, law
Teaching resources: Epilogue, Teaching note

Link to Case Link to PDF