Case Study 6: A Woman v Eastbourne Gazette

• A reporter from a local newspaper approached close family members of a man who has suffered a motorcycle accident that left him in a coma
• During the man's first visit home after regaining consciousness a journalist approaches the house wishing to speak to the family with view to a story
• He is told by the family that they will call him at a more appropriate time if they decide to speak about the accident
• The journalist leaves an answerphone message later in the week and telephones again asking for permission to visit the man
• Permission is firmly denied but that day the journalist enters the hospital without identifying himself and questions the man despite the fact that his injuries are such that he "barely knows his own name"

Is the journalist just doing his job in persuing an interview even in the hospital, or is he unduly harassing the man in breach of Clause 4 (Harassment) and behaving irresponsibly in breach of Clause 8 (Hospitals)?