ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the concept of data protection and the limitations it places on journalists working in the UK and the European Union on access to information about individuals. Journalists working as reporters in news or feature-based editorial collect and process personal data and need to fully understand the need to protect personal data and the restrictions that are often placed on the journalist’s ability to access information. The widespread introduction of computers into government and then business through the 1970s and 1980s led to considerable concerns about the sharing of personal data and the invasion of privacy this could cause. Whilst there is little in law preventing publication of someone’s private affairs, there is strong legislation protecting the privacy of personal data. The rise of computers in the 1980s to manage data for government and private companies brought with them serious concerns about the privacy of data collected.
