The allegations of devious and unethical conduct by the News of the World raise huge questions over the future of journalism.The 160-year-old British newspaper which became a part of Rupert Murdoch’s international conglomerate of media outlets, was forced to close after it emerged that its journalists had been engaged in widespread phone hacking. The revelations that the phone of a missing girl had been hacked and later found to have been murdered, was the last straw.It should go without saying that this practice goes against the basic principles of proper professional journalism, and the standards expected in any democratic society.Now, with resignations and arrests growing, the question is how far did responsibility go, and will this spell the end of one of the most powerful media empires in the world.The phone hacking scandal at News of the World ignited waves of fury in the British Parliament, as members on both sides of the house joined in openly condemning such tactics, with the Prime Minister calling on the company to re-examine its way of doing business, before attempting to engage in new media ventures. He described the practice as appalling. However, before people go over the edge in thinking all journalists operate outside of decent professional principles, they should be mindful that it was alert first class journalism, especially by The Guardian newspaper, that helped to get this story before the world, for all to see.There is no question that this is a black eye for journalism, but it may in fact turn out to be one of journalism’s finest moments.That may seem strange to some, but even as this story unfolds with it s numerous twist and turns, hundreds of highly skilled journalists around the world are carrying the torch of great journalism by reporting in dangerous situations in order to inform with integrity.Nor was every reporter attached to News of the World engaging in this. Indeed many people who had nothing to do with the scandal lost their jobs when the newspaper was closed.While it is certainly not a good day for the world of journalism, it has also not been a good day for those who felt they could stoop to any depth in seeking sensationalism above proper ethics and that is a good thing.However, it is also true to say that the cut-throat competition that has long characterised Fleet Street journalism gave rise to this.And the growth of digital journalism, with its 24/7 news cycle only makes the importance of being first more pressing. In those circumstances, the truth and principle can be lost, and the danger is that there will be more News of the World scandals, not fewer, after and despite this.There is a lesson out of this for Bermuda. Our free press might not be perfect, but there is little doubt that every effort is made to report fairly and accurately. No newspaper or media outlet can do this daily without the occasional stumble.But there is a huge difference between the occasional innocent error and the scandalous invasions of privacy that took place at the News of the World.The bottom line here is that in a democracy the free press must be the voice of truth, in a system that makes them accountable when they breach ethics. Good journalists know this, and it is what keeps them with a sense of pride in a profession vital to freedom.