It is easy not to trust politician‘s motivations, particularly when they are driven by populist issues evangelised by tabloid newspapers. Likewise, those tabloids with large readerships are very aware of the influence they hold over our democracy; they speak to readers in a direct way that no politician can achieve, and can use their power to consider that they are above the law.
However, the industry is wider and more important than the powerful and misbehaving tabloids. We have to consider the loss-making quality press, the parlous state of much of the local and regional press, and then there are magazines and trade publications. There is a wide variety of ownerships and agendas, spread around the country and varying widely in influence and in outlook. Compare this to the limited number of elected representatives in our parliaments, often voting on party lines, or on agendas defined by the tabloid press.
If there were some way to regulate the tabloids while leaving the rest of the industry alone, I may have some sympathy for it, but I think a key issue behind any changes to press regulation should be to preserve the variety and independence of our smaller publishers.
The newspaper industry is structured in such a way that there is a lot of personal responsibility. Pieces are bylined, journalists can be held responsible for what they write, editors are responsible for what they publisher, and any could be sacked for professional or criminal failings. This is far cry from the wriggle room that politicians have when their failings are exposed. I’m pretty sure that the press, in general, are most trustworthy than politicians, and more deserving of our support. (Although I’m sure there are rats of reporters, and saintly members of parliament.)
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However, the industry is wider and more important than the powerful and misbehaving tabloids. We have to consider the loss-making quality press, the parlous state of much of the local and regional press, and then there are magazines and trade publications. There is a wide variety of ownerships and agendas, spread around the country and varying widely in influence and in outlook. Compare this to the limited number of elected representatives in our parliaments, often voting on party lines, or on agendas defined by the tabloid press.
If there were some way to regulate the tabloids while leaving the rest of the industry alone, I may have some sympathy for it, but I think a key issue behind any changes to press regulation should be to preserve the variety and independence of our smaller publishers.
The newspaper industry is structured in such a way that there is a lot of personal responsibility. Pieces are bylined, journalists can be held responsible for what they write, editors are responsible for what they publisher, and any could be sacked for professional or criminal failings. This is far cry from the wriggle room that politicians have when their failings are exposed. I’m pretty sure that the press, in general, are most trustworthy than politicians, and more deserving of our support. (Although I’m sure there are rats of reporters, and saintly members of parliament.)