So here we are. The United Kingdom will now have some kind of statute-backed independent self-regulation thing - presuming the press actually signs up. After Cameron's withdrawal from cross-party talks put us all on war footing, he and the other two party leaders pulled a deal out of the hat in the small hours of Monday morning. Did the Prime Minister think he could win a … [Read more...]
Russia, China, Syria…where will Leveson lead us next?
As the publication of the Leveson Report looms, it's natural to compare the British press with that of other countries. Many have claimed that, if we're not careful, our country could slide towards the lamentable state which afflicts others, such as China, Russia or Syria. In this post, we review various claims about where Britain is going. … [Read more...]
If the Sun hates attacks on press freedom, how must it despise itself!
Republished from Open Democracy The Sun’s associate editor Trevor Kavanagh is right to be angry. There is an assault on press freedom and media independence. The question is whether it is coming from the investigations into phone hacking and illegal payments that have absorbed the Leveson Inquiry and Operation Elevden or from within the culture of a commercial press that … [Read more...]