Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Tim Goode/PA Archive

UK newspapers go to court to block press regulation system

The publishers are seeking an injunction over a new charter drawn up by Britain’s three main political parties after their proposals for a self-regulation were rejected.

UK NEWSPAPER AND  magazine publishers sought a last-minute court injunction today to stop a mechanism backed by politicians to regulate the press from being approved later.

The newspapers are seeking permission for a legal challenge over a decision to reject the industry’s own proposals for a so-called royal charter to oversee a new system of regulation.

The 11th-hour attempt at the High Court in London is aimed at stopping ministers from seeking the Queen’s approval for a rival royal charter that is backed by politicians.

It was drawn up by Britain’s three main political parties, but is fiercely opposed by most of the newspaper industry.

Ministers are due to go to the Privy Council, the formal body of advisors to the queen, later today to seek her green light.

But if the newspapers succeed in their application for an interim injunction, the process will be put on hold until the legal challenge has been heard.

image

(Rebekah Brooks arrives at the Old Bailey in London today. Pic: Ki Price/PA Wire)

Coincidentally, the High Court hearing falls on the day that the prosecution opens in the trial of key figures accused in the phone-hacking scandal that sparked calls for tougher regulation of Britain’s pugnacious press.

The main defendants in the trial are Rebekah Brooks, a former editor of the defunct News of the World tabloid and a close confidante of its owner Rupert Murdoch, and Andy Coulson, who also edited the paper before becoming Prime Minister David Cameron’s media chief.

Newspaper owners argue that the proposals backed by the government and anti-hacking campaigners are an attempt to introduce a degree of state control to an industry that is currently self-regulated.

Roger Alton, executive editor of The Times, told BBC radio that the Independent Press Standards Organisation, the new regulator supported by the newspaper industry, would be a tough watchdog.

“It is extremely tough, it’s a contract-based system. You sign a contract into the regulator and you are liable for extremely severe fines,” he said.

He said the government-backed proposals were “extraordinarily depressing”.

© – AFP

Read: Former News Of The World editors go on trial for phone hacking >

Read: David Cameron under pressure over press regulation >

Author
View 14 comments
Close
14 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute guardian
    Favourite guardian
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 12:13 PM

    Look we all know that the red tops need control. They print the most disgusting things. Jusy last week the uk mirror carried a full page story and I quote “maddie” found on ireland. Reference of course to blonde child taken into care. Thats another story itself but what a horrid headline.

    When was last time a red top has done some serious investigating? Its all reporting hyped up untrue crap.

    Broadsheets in general are of higher standard. The times and such has avoided this as they report the facts not in underhanded way. But the times does not feature some bimbo with t*ts bursting out. Always a hot seller and really great news in public interest to know that jo, 19 from Bradford has 32DD. society becomes dumber each year I hope we stop the rot

    51
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Diarmuid Brennan
    Favourite Diarmuid Brennan
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 12:50 PM

    In the UK there is no FREE PRESS, the media are all controlled with one exception, the guardian news paper. Cameron has himself said in parliament the he wants to curb their freedom as they are helping terrorists publishing snowdens files. The secret service broke in to the guardians offices and destroyed the hard drives with snowdens files on them. Not one uk news source reported the story… There is no freedom of press in the UK, most of the stories are government propaganda.

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute guardian
    Favourite guardian
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 2:08 PM

    Completely disagree. Yes hard droves were destroyed but it was not during a burglary. A time was agrees for agents to arrive and forensically erase the data. So thats wrong.

    Secondly when you get both sides of something it makes a more clear picture. Those monitored calls appear to be stats and provided by France spain and Germany. Snowden and journalists saw graphs and did not know what they were looking at. Mind you deeper stuff of monitoring tge chancellor’s phone was uncalled for but we all know if the Germans had the capabilities to do that they would listen to enda.

    I believe in freedom of press but I believe you can lie and print absolute shite. Personal life should be personal. Unless in public interest. I dont think printing “irelands seedy pervert couples” and revealing identities of swingers is hardly in public interest when its pure legal consenting adult fun. Just exaggerated to sell papers. Also hacking ohones or emails of victims its just horrific. The red tops brought it on themselves.

    The bbc or times might or might not have reported that break in you were on about cos it did not happen as explained above. I’ve no problem with facts being reported on what Snowden released or opinion pieces. I understand why much or it has to be deleted. We just need to get rid of sensationalist journalism that ruins lives for no reason. I could not give a toss if jude law sleeps with his nanny. I do care about a report of radioactive leak or police officers lying.

    5
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Diarmuid Brennan
    Favourite Diarmuid Brennan
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 2:44 PM

    “Completely disagree. Yes hard droves were destroyed but it was not during a burglary. A time was agrees for agents to arrive and forensically erase the data.”

    UK GCHQ (people who are helping NSA) ordered the guardian to destroy the files. this was not what they the guardian wanted to do but they had no choice. This was done “forensically” with angle grinders. Seems very strange the government doing this, stopping the truth about what these agencies are doing behind people backs,

    I don’t care even if they are stats, why does the american government what this data and why are the European governments supplying the data without the permission of the people, the people who democratically elected their leaders. This is how democracy should work. People are elected to represent people and do what is in the best wishes of the people. this is a case of the tail wagging the dog!!

    I agree what you say about freedom of press, swingers, perverts and i also agree that peoples personal stories should not be published, hacking people phone should be a criminal offence. The BBC didn’t report the story as the top bosses believe that its not in the best issues of the people (or the corrupt government) to report such stories, this is called propaganda. There are a lot of other stories not published by the media that I’ve heard first hand from people living in these countries.

    The UK and US media portrays the Muslims as bad and war on Muslims countries as good. they do not report such stories where these people are seen to be different. If we are to believe all of what the papers say then we should of invaded all Muslim countries. I look for stories with fact. like in Afghanistan Opium (Cocaine) production has increased since the US invasion and its production is ever increasing. in 2002 Opium production was at an all time low before the US invaded. Iraq was invaded because of “weapons of mass destruction” that were never found. why are these stories not printed in the UK and US media. or even European media.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute guardian
    Favourite guardian
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 3:01 PM

    Its politics thats always been there. If you print that story about the ministers affair we will lock you out of discussions and wont feed you info. Thats always been the way its not new.

    If I was going to permanently delete data I would take 3 steps. Big ass magnet. Axe and fire and I would refer to that as forensically destroying it or putting it beyond retrievable effort. Its how you word things :)

    The more I learn about how the press cowboys operated the more I think they should be in jail. Reputable papers are not in t he firing line and have not caused this. Personally id love to see the sun mirror star shut down

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Diarmuid Brennan
    Favourite Diarmuid Brennan
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 3:12 PM

    It doesn’t make any sense what GCHQ did destroying the hard drives. the guardian told them that the files are not only in the uk but in the US and brazil also. The article was written out of the US office so what is the reason to destroy the files in the UK. there is more than one copy you can be guaranteed that.

    Snowden is a whistle blower, he is trying to warn people of what the US and UK governments are doing behind people backs. Yet in the US he committed treason and the UK backing the US want him jailed also because it makes the government look bad.

    You are missing the big picture, if the UK government get news censorship then there is no freedom of press. all they need to do is bring in laws that protect people privacy and not government, bankers and corporation wrongdoing. People need to know what the government is doing and report them to the people. they need to report what whistle blowers have to say. Unfortunately the UK government are slowing bringing in censorship and reducing the freedom or speech, the UK will be no better than China.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute seamus mcdermott
    Favourite seamus mcdermott
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 12:10 PM

    Total load of rubbish.
    The editors and management of the newspapers committed (it is alleged) criminal acts. Criminality does not respect regulation of either the voluntary or legal type. Nothing will be gained and government will have its nose where it can only do harm.
    Only in the US and UK to they declare war on the press while simultaneously attacking other nations for doing the same thing.

    29
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Aunty Simmonite
    Favourite Aunty Simmonite
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 12:21 PM

    A Free Press is an essential part of freedom from oppression and totalitarianism.

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Silverharp Harp
    Favourite Silverharp Harp
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 12:33 PM

    its funny though that the “free Press” are not exactly behind the idea of a “free Internet”. the best days of the press are probably behind us given how concentrated the ownership is, its good to be skeptical of the “free press” and whatever agenda du jour they are pushing

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Aunty Simmonite
    Favourite Aunty Simmonite
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 1:18 PM

    I’m not so sure that the concentration of ownership is as big a problem as claimed. I can read maybe 50 newspapers a day if I am stuck indoors and none of them are owned by Murdock for example and I don’t have Sky TV to boot.The biggest give-away broadsheet in the UK, The Guardian, is just a propaganda piece where comment on their slanted news is censored but thanks to the interweb every newspaper in the world can be read even if some are behind a pay wall. Freedom of the internet is coming under threat and not just from the jealous dead tree media, Barroso and other unelected chancers at the EU want what I have just written banned, we must not speak of the commissars other than in terms of adoration ;-). The old guideline on free speech should be adhered to, freedom does not give anyone the right to shout fire in a crowded theatre.

    3
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Diarmuid Brennan
    Favourite Diarmuid Brennan
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 1:28 PM

    I wouldn’t trust most uk news papers or sites. All UK News sources are pro american, ie they don’t show stories harmful to the USA, UK or Israel. The UN announced today 188 countries have opposed USA sanctions against Cuba for the last 57 years. Only Israel and the USA are for keeping the sanctions. This is nowhere to be found on US and UK media sites. Check out the UN SITE and you’ll see the story there on the home page as it is a big worldwide story.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Silverharp Harp
    Favourite Silverharp Harp
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 1:30 PM

    @Aunty – free speech will tend to be bounded by property rights which is fine be it a cinema or online comments, one is always free to vote with ones feet if its not to your liking. I would agree that oversight or regulation is something to be worried about as its normally used to crush small players. In the US from time to time they seem to want to introduce a right of reply which would make it more difficult to be critical of the government

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute mary jones
    Favourite mary jones
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 12:26 PM

    They have clearly demonstrated that they cannot self regulate which now gives the government the open door to walk censorship through.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Silverharp Harp
    Favourite Silverharp Harp
    Report
    Oct 30th 2013, 12:20 PM

    I dont see the point of trying to regulate them, if they break the law “catch” them, if its worth their while breaking the law, make the penalties more severe so its not worth it.

    12
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds