Should the press be regulated?

[Notsoyummymummy1]

I can understand why some might see it as a slippery slope towards destroying a free press but I can't see the harm in newspapers being answerable to the public they are meant to serve. As long as it is an independent body not the government, such as Ofcom, I think it's about time the public had someone to complain to if newspapers print something false or harrass people, with proper penalties in place. I don't think this should hamper any decent journalist. With so much rubbish on the Internet we have every right to expect our press to be accurate.

[MrJudgeyPants]

Whilst in principle you may be right, I just don't trust those Westminster charlatans as far as I can throw them. Over the last 20 years or so we've seen a creeping politicising of the civil service so I see no reason why, given enough time, politicians won't abuse the "free press" too.

As for the newspapers being answerable to the public, try buying a copy of The Sun in Liverpool and you will soon see who has the power in that relationship. Newspaper sales have been on the slide for years (their decline predates the internet) so perhaps people are responding to the newspaper's slip in standards by voting with their wallets.

As for the response to Leveson, all of the press' dirty tricks were illegal then and are illegal still. New laws are not required - enforcing the old ones is.

Finally, I disagree with your assumption that the dead tree press is more accurate than the internet.

[niceguy2]

One of the most important jobs of the press is to hold our politician's to account.

So i wouldn't like to see politician's deciding on regulation.

The whole problem boils down to "Who watches the watchers"

[Chipstick10]

Answer to question. No.

[lalalonglegs]

No. Even if this government were to be completely hands off in terms of censoring journalists, who's to say that some future government would be? If you don't like what a particular newspaper/magazine prints, don't buy it and don't visit its website, use your buying power to influence what they produce. Don't let the government influence it for you.

[Notsoyummymummy1]

I wasn't assuming the press are more accurate - the whole point is that they're not but we should demand it if them or else what is the point of them?!

Surely independent regulation would avoid government control.

It's not just about liking what you read it's about having the right to complain if something false has been written about you, this shouldn't just be available to those who can afford lawyers. Apologies should have to be as prominent as the original article.

Surely journalists should not be able to harrass someone just because they're famous - as Sienna Miller pointed out it would normally be unacceptable for a group of men to chase a young woman down an alley at night but if they are paparazzi and the woman is famous it's somehow ok.

The tv is regulated by Ofcom and I don't feel that I'm watching a sanitised media!

[Nancy66]

Ofcom reports to the government.
I doubt you'd find many senior personnel at the BBC who'd think it was an independent regulator