Tuesday 21 August 2012

Right to Reply

I have to confess I thoroughly enjoyed following the Leveson enquiry, particularly watching the press squirm whilst trying to defend the indefensible. Just for once, those wronged by these cowardly bullies who thought they were untouchable, were able to bite back without fear of reprisal.

We heard a great deal about the need for a free press trumping everyone else's individual freedoms and indeed their human rights, and even I, who loathes the press would not wish to see it become the puppet of the government of the day. The simple fact however is that the newspapers are the only arm of the news media that is not already regulated. TV news is subject to regulation, as is radio, and you do not often hear complaints of the Sky, the BBC or even Talk Sport towing the government line. Government regulation is clearly not the answer, but there are a whole world of options between that and self regulation.

I would favour an independent regulator made up of people from all walks of life. Not merely a bunch of lawyers and media grandees, but also a few ordinary people. Teachers, Bin Men, The Unemployed, Sports people  Farmers, Policemen. Anyone who is or might be the subject of a press story is entitled to have a say on this subject.

A final word has to go to the most unabashed piece of indefensible grandstanding I have ever seen. Step forward that pompous arrogant twat Peter Preston. I saw him interviewed at the end of a day when we had heard endless harrowing stories of people being brutalised by reporters for no other reason than that they were good at whatever endeavour it was they had chosen for themselves. Mr Preston, bless him, actually had the temerity to complain that it was all very well for these people to make accusations against the press, but that it was unfair that the papers had no right to reply.

I swear, you could not make it up.

What a Pillock.
Peter Preston