Regulating The Press

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 reexamine 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. 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 cross media 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 reexamine 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 A free press is the cornerstone of democracy. But how free is the press in a world of converging technologies and cross-media ownership, where in fact the press is closely controlled and regulated by media moguls in the interests of very specific corporate agendas? And how can the claims of a free press be reconciled with the ever more frequent media abuses of invasion of privacy, jingoism, misrepresentation and propaganda?Clive Soley and Tom O'Malley disentangle the facts of the matter from the self-serving half-truths and evasions of the bitter debate over press regulation, setting the issues in their historical context and exposing the numerous claims and counterclaims to close critical scrutiny. Focusing on issues of principle such as accuracy, misrepresentation and privacy, they 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 a so-called free market economy. Putting The Press Into Perspective -- The Meanings Of The Press -- Working On The Law : Employers, Journalists, And The Legal Framework -- A Sense Of Doubt : The Origins And History Of Self-regulation Up To 1972 -- Nothing Resolved : Self-regulation, 1972-1998 -- Organising And Defining Self-regulation -- Self-regulation At Work : An Overview -- The Problem Of Accuracy In The Uk Press In The 1980s And 1990s -- The Distorting Mirror : The Problem Of Misrepresentation In The Press In The 1980s And 1990s -- Privacy And Self-regulation -- Rights And Responsibilities : The Need For Reform. Tom O'malley And Clive Soley. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 199-232) And Index. This work sets the issues of press regulation in their historical context. The authors specifically look at the history and record of the Press Council and assess the performance of the Press Complaints Commission How do we balance press regulation with freedom of information? This book provides the answers, taking into account converging media ownership and the threat it poses to democracy