Moral Development Theory

Moral Development Theory

One of the biggest scandals involving print journalism in recent history has recently been uncovered in England -- and it involves one of the most popular tabloids in the UK, The News of the World. Reporters employed by the popular print tabloid have been found to have hacked into the cellphone voice messages of celebrities, the Royal Family, sports notables and politicians. Those whose actions or lack of action are deeply implicated include the reporters and editors at The News of the World, reporters, and shockingly, law enforcement in London has also been swept up in the disgraceful, sordid affair. This paper points out the way in which Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development help explain the unethical aspects of the case.

Law Enforcement Lapses

The media have covered this story very completely, partly due to the shocking evidence that journalists would invade the private world of any citizen -- let along notable, famous, and important individuals in the world of politics and entertainment -- and also due to the fact that the paper involved is owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, whose empire is larger and has more influence globally than any other company.

A story in CBS News (February 7) asserts that police officials in England had dismissed suggestions for years that investigative articles in the highly respected publication the Guardian -- which reported hacking at Murdoch's News of the World -- linked New of the World with illegal hacking strategies. London's Metropolitan Police Service apparently either never bothered to "examine the evidence gathered by its own officers" that there were hacking victims and they could be identified -- or deliberately covered up the findings (CBS, 2012).

Attorneys for police have acknowledged that officers violated "the human rights of thousands of potential victims" by failing to them that their personal, private conversations had been "targeted by unscrupulous journalists" (CBS). The excuse given for the police was that they had been stretched by "…unprecedented increase in anti-terrorist investigations" and didn't have the time to follow up on verified reports of hacking.

According to professor Doug Davis at Haverford College, in Kohlberg's Level I, Stage 1, the child (in this case the police) should begin to understand superior power and know how to avoid trouble, but they did not follow their own sensibilities and responsibilities.

In Level I, Stage 2, the correct action should be in satisfying the self's "needs and occasionally others'" needs; in this case it appears the police in London needed to try to avoid being involved in this unfolding scandal. It was naive and egoistic to presume that an officer of the law could cover up or ignore evidence of wrongdoing.

Level II, Stage 3 calls for the individual to reach a stage where approval is vitally important and it can be achieved by helping others. Action is evaluated in terms of intentions. In the case of the London police, they were hurting others, by covering up illegal activities their intentions were unlawful and the stereotypical image of an ethical police officer was ruined.

Level II, Stage 4: in the case of the London police they showed no respect for authority, they neglected their sworn allegiance to service and duty, and their motives were corrupt.

Level III, Stage 5: Police above all people should know right from wrong, and they not only should know the law but work to uphold it. If there is a conflict between individuals and the law, police should be making good moral decisions, and they were not doing that in London.