Acting in the Public Interest “The public interest” is a very
broad term, but in the context of journalism, it has been
explicitly defined. The Press Complaints Commission, which
regulates British print media, defines the public interest as:
(i) Detecting or exposing crime or a serious misdemeanour. (ii)
Protecting public health and safety. (iii) Preventing the public
from being misled by some statement or action of an individual
or organisation. Since the public is the ultimate source of
income for media, acting in their interest is both an ethical
and pragmatic concern for journalists. Maintaining the Public’s
Trust Journalists strive to keep the public’s trust, because it
is on the foundation of trust that information is collected and
exchanged. The public must trust journalists to provide accurate
and valuable information, or the journalists’ works will be
neither sought out nor believed. Sources of information must
trust journalists to protect their identity, where applicable,
and not to misrepresent the