The release of the report of the Leveson Inquiry has UK newspapers saying they don’t need the control measures outlined in the report. A tragedy has been uncovered brought about by systematic and systemic crime and corruption and the plan for stopping this happening again is being rejected because businesses think they can control themselves. Self regulation failed the UK.
We have seen similar complaints in Australia following the Finklestein report into media regulation. News outlets don’t want regulation, they say it’s censorship. We have censorship in Australia today in some media outlets and bias on show in their pages. Look at global warming – many media outlets do not report the facts. Just this week with the AWU scandal we have seen media outlets take down spin in the face of evidence that their ‘news’ was wrong.
You sell more copies and attract more eyeballs with fear and spin than facts.
For a feeling of how newspaper publishers have approached Leveson, read Roy Greenslade’s column in The Guardian.
I am for any measure that dilutes the control of of mass media into few hands and I am for any measure that holds media proprietors personally responsible for false and misleading reporting and criminal activity by any who work for them in pursuing story material.