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Book Details
Abstract
A free press is the cornerstone of democracy. Does this then give the press the right to print inaccurate material with relative impunity? Should the public have a statutory right of reply to inaccuracy in the press? And how free is the press in a world of converging technologies and crossmedia ownership?
Clive Soley and Tom O’Malley set the issues of press regulation in their historical context, focusing on the period after 1945. They specifically look at the history and record of the Press Council and assess the performance of the Press Complaints Commission. The book analyses the arguments surrounding attempts to improve standards by introducing statutory rights for the public, and the reasons for the failure of these initiatives.
Focusing on issues of principle such as accuracy, misrepresentation and privacy, the authors re-examine the ways in which debates over press freedom versus regulation illuminate the fundamental conflicts between a fully accountable press and the economic imperatives of the free market economy.
'As rich in historical details as it is lucid in its arguments, it succeeds admirably'
Free Press
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contents | iii | ||
| Introduction | 1 | ||
| PART I: The History of Self-Regulation | 7 | ||
| 1. Putting the Press into Perspective | 7 | ||
| Ways of thinking about the press | 7 | ||
| Notes 1-15 | 199 | ||
| 16-36 | 200 | ||
| 37-44 | 201 | ||
| 2 The Meanings of the Press | 19 | ||
| A free press, the state and the law | 19 | ||
| Truthfulness, impartiality and accuracy | 22 | ||
| Attitudes and abuses | 25 | ||
| Notes 1-5 | 201 | ||
| 6-23 | 202 | ||
| 24-48 | 203 | ||
| 49-65 | 204 | ||
| 3 Working on the Law: Employers, Journalists and the Legal Framework | 36 | ||
| Employers | 36 | ||
| The struggle for professional status | 37 | ||
| The Institute of Journalists | 40 | ||
| The National Union of Journalists | 42 | ||
| Politicians and the industry | 44 | ||
| Aspects of the legal framework | 45 | ||
| Note 1 | 204 | ||
| 2-20 | 205 | ||
| 21-40 | 206 | ||
| 4 A Sense of Doubt: The Origins and History of Self-Regulation up to 1972 | 51 | ||
| 1930s-1953 - the emergence of the Press Council | 51 | ||
| 1953-64 - a slow start | 58 | ||
| 1964-72 - from Shawcross to Younger: reform and rebuke | 65 | ||
| Notes 1-15 | 207 | ||
| 16-33 | 208 | ||
| 34-41 | 209 | ||
| 5 Nothing Resolved: Self-Regulation, 1972 -98 | 71 | ||
| Turbulence - 1973-79 | 71 | ||
| Self-regulation, 1979-93 | 78 | ||
| The status quo, 1993-98 | 93 | ||
| Years of debate | 96 | ||
| Notes 1-15 | 209 | ||
| 16-29 | 210 | ||
| 30-43 | 211 | ||
| 44-55 | 212 | ||
| 56-57 | 213 | ||
| 6 Organising and Defining Self- Regulation | 97 | ||
| 1953-98 | 97 | ||
| Finance and membership | 98 | ||
| Aims and powers | 103 | ||
| Procedures | 107 | ||
| Attitudes | 113 | ||
| Notes 1-25 | 213 | ||
| 26-38 | 214 | ||
| 7 Self-Regulation at Work - An Overview | 120 | ||
| PART II: Cases and Issues | 143 | ||
| 8 The Problem of Accuracy in the UK Press in the 1980s and 1990s | 146 | ||
| Accuracy: why is it so important | 145 | ||
| Labour councils and the press | 146 | ||
| Race and the press complaints commission | 147 | ||
| Hurting 'third parties' | 148 | ||
| Fact and opinion | 149 | ||
| Inaccuracy and justice | 151 | ||
| Implications and inadequate remedies | 152 | ||
| Note 1 | 215 | ||
| 2-23 | 216 | ||
| 24-30 | 217 | ||
| 9 The Distorting Mirror. The Problem of Misrepresentation in the Press in the 1980s and 1990s | 154 | ||
| Misrepresentation and distortion | 154 | ||
| The pitfalls of complaining | 161 | ||
| A failure of standards and redress | 163 | ||
| Notes 1-21 | 217 | ||
| 22-28 | 218 | ||
| 10 Privacy and Self-Regulation | 165 | ||
| Privacy and the public interest | 165 | ||
| Sex, sensationalism, politicians and royalty | 167 | ||
| Who is a legitimate subject of intrusion? | 170 | ||
| The privacy of ordinary people | 171 | ||
| A weak system | 173 | ||
| Notes 1-19 | 218 | ||
| 20-32 | 219 | ||
| PART III: Reforming Regulation | 175 | ||
| 11 Rights and Responsibilities: The Need for Reform | 177 | ||
| An ongoing debate | 177 | ||
| A context for reform | 183 | ||
| Press freedom and ownership | 186 | ||
| Standards and freedom | 187 | ||
| Conclusion | 189 | ||
| Notes 1-6 | 219 | ||
| 7-16 | 220 | ||
| Appendix Freedom and Responsibility of the Press Bill | 191 | ||
| Notes | 199 | ||
| Bibliography | 221 | ||
| Index | 233 | ||
| Abbot, Barrie 101 | 101 | ||
| Aberfan disaster, press coverage of 67 | 67 | ||
| accountability | 71 |