f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Clearly they aren't as otherwise we wouldn't be here!

ReallyReallyGoodMeat

Why aren't they enforcible? Most of what they did was illegal and easy to prosecute, and they are as we speak!

Chip

Exactly, yet nobody saw fit to do anything about it.

Martin2005

Meaning?

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

It wasn't a dig at you LOL! Just meaning that there are vast swathes of the population who will never stop buying and reading/watching the crap the gutter press serve up!

TelBoy

The criminal act of phone hacking is enforceable, yes, but isn't this all about protecting those people from that sort of gross invasion of privacy in the first place? A self-regulating code of conduct clearly isn't sufficient, or are the press hoping we'll believe them when they say sorry for being naughty boys, won't happen again, sir? Doesn't work for me.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

The current press complaints system has no clout, a newspaper or TV channel can just stick the finger up at them and tell them to do one.

The law does provide for the prosecution of those committing these crimes, but what Leveson's proposals want to try and provide is a system whereby they won't commit the acts in the first place and if they do they will be held accountable within the industry in a short space of time!

PeteBrant

TV channels are regulated by Ofcom, so its slightly different. Broadcast media does have independent regualtion.

Of course the press are printing all sort of total bollocks about how this and that story would not be published were the system to be changed in line with Levesons reccomendations. Well of course they are, they are fighting to keep self regulation. In reality is it ridiculous to suggest that MP expense claims etc would not be uncovered were the press to have an independent body that stopped them acting like complete cvnts.

THis is not about MPs or expenses or the MOD. This is about ensuring that journalists and editors and newpapers face real penalties when they act liek total cvnts, rather than the ridiculous situation we have now with self regulation and the PCC.
Ask Chris Jeffries about the apologies he received after the press had virtually ruined his life. Were they the sam bold type and fron page headlines that the original story was? Of course not. Why not? Because there is nothign in place to make sure it happens.


I think it was Albert Einstien that said that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the defintion of insanity. The PCC has been proven to be not fit for purporse. Why replace it with the same thing?

jonc

I'm partially in favour of the Leveson's recommendation and in favour of an independent regulatory body, but where I stop short of giving my full backing is the bringing in of statute law to govern the press. I would oppose any law imposed by the Government that might interfere or jeopardise a free press. Once statute law has been set, there would be no going back and there is the danger that the new laws could be subject to amendments and extensions and be open to interpretation and used for an unintended purpose as we have seen with other laws.

PeteBrant

Well without a law, the indepedent body becomse entirely voluntary. The whole of print media can just say "no thanks, we'll stick on our own terms" if the independent body actually holds them to task.

It has to backed up by legislation in order to make sense.

And I don't buy into this fear that MPs will suddenly start trying to control the press and we will have state controlled media by the back door. We trust and vote MPs in to handle far more important things, like life and death, health, wars etc, but all of the sudden MPs can;t be trusted when it comes ot the papers? I don;t buy it.

If a party was so inclined to actually want to censor the press, they would just do it. They would't worry about doing it via the back door.

jonc

If anything, the Leveson Inquiry has already shown that politicians, both past and present, have had quite a cosy relationship with the media.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Cameron halts cross party talks on Leveson proposals

He wasn't getting his own way so now as well as ignoring Lord Leveson's recommendations he is going against those of the other parties including the one he is in coalition with.

Still this will no doubt win him some more friends in the press which he needs seeing as his other friends in the press are possibly going to prison

All very ironic on a day when 4 Mirror journalists have been arrested for phone hacking.

dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

These petitions don't matter a toss. The whole country could sign it the Gov't would still do whatever it wanted.