COMMENT: Editor defends role of newspapers ahead of Leveson Report (From Oxford Mail)
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COMMENT: Editor defends role of newspapers ahead of Leveson Report
11:10am Thursday 29th November 2012 in News By Simon O'Neill
A FREE press is essential to a truly democratic society, writes Oxford Mail editor Simon O’Neill.
Weaken the former and you weaken the latter. It really is as simple as that. There are no half measures when it comes to the regulation of a free press. You cannot have ‘a little bit of legislation.’ It’s all or nothing.
Am I being paranoid? You bet I am.
There are some people in power out there – politicians and public servants included – who utter fine words about democracy and accountability and then do all they can to cover up their corruption and hypocrisy. They have scores to settle.
The press does have a lot to answer for and, if truth be told, we have brought much of this upon ourselves.
As for the Press Complaints Commission in its current form, it has had its day.
If Leveson flushes out the immoral, illegal and downright despicable practices of a small section of our industry, he will have done journalism and society as a whole a great service.
If he advocates a regulatory body backed by legislation and that is implemented by this Government, he and every politician who supports him will go down in history as the people who made future curbs on press freedom possible.
The pendulum has swung too far towards a small but powerful section of the press that has thrown its moral compass out of the window. Of that there is no doubt.
The rabid clamour for legislation is pushing it too far in the other direction and it is society as a whole, as well as the honest, responsible press vital to a functioning democracy, that will suffer.’
Comments(8)
CowleyBoy
says...
1:26pm Thu 29 Nov 12
If we have to take away some of their freedom to stop people's lives being destroyed in the name of selling papers, so be it. It's the only way they'll learn.
Sandy Wimpole-Smythe
says...
1:33pm Thu 29 Nov 12
What, even when this 'free' press is hacking the phone of a murdered school girl ?
The press has repeatedly proved they cannot be trusted to self govern and are not fit to hold the responsibilities which come with a free press.
oxinkytext
says...
5:48pm Thu 29 Nov 12
Yes, we want good open reporting of the facts and issues, but that does not mean that we want innocent individuals harrassed in the pursuit of "juicy" personal details in order to just sensationalise a story.
Whatever is implemented needs to have some teeth - it should certainly be possible to suspend newspaper publication and individuals when they overstep the mark.
xjohnx
says...
10:28pm Thu 29 Nov 12
That's not free press, its freedom to bully!
Shame on the editor!
Is control by oversight committee worse than control by self interested publishers and greedy owners?
Sandy Wimpole-Smythe
says...
7:10am Fri 30 Nov 12
Pavinder Msvarensy
says...
4:31am Sun 2 Dec 12
Sandy Wimpole-Smythe
says...
7:33am Fri 7 Dec 12
Whitto says...
12:56pm Thu 29 Nov 12
The problem is that the right to self governance has been lost in thes eyes of the public - if for no other reason than the hacking of Millie Dowlers phone that gave her parents hope she was still alive.
Alos if you have nothing to hode then what do you have to fear if regulation is made tighter? The press is great at keeping public figures in check, look at the expenses scandel, but there has to be a point where journalists and editors stop and think what the outcomes will be before publishing or even using ceratin methods of investiagtion.
Everyone has a right to private life, no matter if they are in the public eye or not, and the press need to remember that.