Name: Does the media have a "duty of care"?
Uploaded: 2014-02-10T16:15:38Z
Duration: 10 min 27 s
Description: In this thoughtful talk, David Puttnam asks a big question about the media: Does it have a moral imperative to create informed citizens, to support democracy? His solution for ensuring media responsibility is bold, and you might not agree. But it's certainly a question worth asking.

David Puttnam: Does the media have a "duty of care"?

Does the media have a "duty of care"?

In this thoughtful talk, David Puttnam asks a big question about the media: Does it have a moral imperative to create informed citizens, to support democracy? His solution for ensuring media responsibility is bold, and you might not agree. But it's certainly a question worth asking.

A decomposed snail in a bottle set the legal precedent that companies owe a duty of care, even to strangers. Today, the media shapes public trust in democracy but often neglects honesty and accuracy. Surveys show tabloid readers are twice as likely to feel cynical about politics compared to non-readers. Without media accountability, misinformation corrodes public debate and weakens the fragile foundations of democratic society.