Re: Wake UP smell the coffee
Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 5:31 pm
"Leveson is calling for the State to 'regulate' the press"
No he isnt.
e.g.
It is worth being clear what this legislation would not do. The legislation would not establish a
body to regulate the press: it would be up to the press to come forward with their own body
that meets the criteria laid down. The legislation would not give any rights to Parliament, to
the Government, or to any regulatory (or other) body to prevent newspapers from publishing
any material whatsoever. Nor would it give any rights to these entities to require newspapers
to publish any material except insofar as it would require the recognised self-regulatory body
to have the power to direct the placement and prominence of corrections and apologies in
respect of information found, by that body, to require them.
72.
What would the legislation achieve? Three things. First, it would enshrine, for the first time, a
legal duty on the Government to protect the freedom of the press. Second, it would provide
an independent process to recognise the new self-regulatory body and reassure the public
that the basic requirements of independence and effectiveness were met and continue to
be met; in the Report, I recommend that this is done by Ofcom. Third, by recognising the
new body, it would validate its standards code and the arbitral system sufficient to justify the
benefits in law that would flow to those who subscribed; these could relate to data protection
and the approach of the court to various issues concerning acceptable practice, in addition to
costs consequences if appropriate alternative dispute resolution is available.
No he isnt.
e.g.
It is worth being clear what this legislation would not do. The legislation would not establish a
body to regulate the press: it would be up to the press to come forward with their own body
that meets the criteria laid down. The legislation would not give any rights to Parliament, to
the Government, or to any regulatory (or other) body to prevent newspapers from publishing
any material whatsoever. Nor would it give any rights to these entities to require newspapers
to publish any material except insofar as it would require the recognised self-regulatory body
to have the power to direct the placement and prominence of corrections and apologies in
respect of information found, by that body, to require them.
72.
What would the legislation achieve? Three things. First, it would enshrine, for the first time, a
legal duty on the Government to protect the freedom of the press. Second, it would provide
an independent process to recognise the new self-regulatory body and reassure the public
that the basic requirements of independence and effectiveness were met and continue to
be met; in the Report, I recommend that this is done by Ofcom. Third, by recognising the
new body, it would validate its standards code and the arbitral system sufficient to justify the
benefits in law that would flow to those who subscribed; these could relate to data protection
and the approach of the court to various issues concerning acceptable practice, in addition to
costs consequences if appropriate alternative dispute resolution is available.