ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author examines the ethics of interrogation. He argues that the antagonistic, dismissive interviewing style which is extremely common in British political broadcasting fails to meet decent ethical standards. A healthy democracy requires more than just periodic elections; it requires that all those in positions of power and responsibility are held to account. The media plays a vital role in this. Media ethics as it stands recognises the need to prevent an owner having a media monopoly and for some notion of fair representation, but this prevention of complete uniformity does not extend to the active promotion of more diversity. There is a reason why the ethics of interrogation does not receive sufficient attention. The contemporary West places a lot of importance on the principle of free speech. The John Humphrys/Tony Blair interview provides a good example of the failings of the point-scoring approach.
