So, it is clear that the media, after recieving a horrendous slap on the wrist by Parliament will now be forced to take responsibilities for their dodgy dealings all in the name of searching out the latest scoop.
The Leveson Inquiry (13/07/2011) is headed by Lord Justice Leveson and is a response to the uncovering of "phone-tapping scandals" over the last few years- where journalists and media moguls endorsed tapping into the mobile phones of current celebrities to learn secrets; or of the families of victims in current or past court cases which inevitably dragged the elephant into the room that is the right to privacy and family life.
We are now at the point in which the Leveson Inquiry is producing its findings and recommendations- that the British Press should either a) be regulated through Statutes and Parliament or b) through tough self-regulation.
The House of Commons has since been debating the merits of either outcome- and the Culture Secretary, Maria Miller, followed by a murmur of agreement on both benches stated that come what may '[the outcome] must be effective; it is a common ground and we must put aside the politics and turn our focus on the principles'...She is apparently rallying the parent that is Parliament to join forces- no matter what disagreements they may have elsewhere in policies- to come together and chastise the naughty child that is the errant media.
There was certainly a definitive air in the Culture Secretary's address as she stated that 'status quo was not an option' and that 'we will not accept a puppet show with the same people pulling the same strings'- she certainly was not going to let it slide- and for once, it seemed like there was quite an agreement- that huge corporations who have monopolies on everything and seemingly everyone, who are chaired by the same faces time and time again should not be able to just apologise, return to the comfortable leather seats and continue the malpractice that lead to 'suffering'.
However, with the future implications evidently at the forefront of her mind, Mrs Miller clearly was not in favour of a wholly statutory set of rules that would bind the media for example when she said that 'such legislation could have a profound effect on our ability to safeguard the freedom of the press in the future'- something which, Britain can stand proud to maintain- and it is clear that, should statutes regulate the press and prevent all manner of things from being written and the ways in which it is obtained, then surely it would devaluate its own permission of the freedom of the press!? There would be no freedom.
To paraphrase the Secretary, media is a form of free speech but as with all privileges there comes responsibilities- and that could include the responsibility not to abuse that privilege that could be so easily taken away!!! the responsibility to be ethical and moral in their practices and to not interfere in peoples lives in a way that could be considered traumatic...
So alas, as the inquiry rumbles on, it seems that so far, the outlook appears to be some form of self-regulation that will cause the media to sit up and take notice, pull up their socks and not push the boundaries so far that they accidentally fall into the phone lines themselves.
Useful Links:
the debate from the House of Commons if you want to hear it from the MPS mouths!
http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/ far more highbrow- the actual website covering the inquiry.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/phone-hacking easier to read if you dont have the attention span of a law student.
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