fp188:Free Press template changed fonts.qxd 03/07/2012 13:06 Page 1 FREE Press No 188 July-August 2012 £1 Journal of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom NO PUBLIC VOICE ON MEDIA LAWS IT’S ALL by Frances Balfour CULTURE SECRETARY Jeremy Hunt has scrapped the public consultation process planned to precede the next Communications Act. In May last year he invited replies to an open letter on communications policy, promising a green paper for wide consultation, leading to a formal White Paper and draft Bill in ABOUT 2013. Publication of this green paper was repeatedly delayed until in June he announced it had been cancelled; instead he is staging a series of private seminars with industry figures. The decision means that campaigning organisations like the CPBF will lose their say on forming OWNERS media policy. The culture ministry justified it by claiming that the responses to the open letter said “there was no need for a complete HE LEVESON Inquiry looks set to address “how future concerns about press overhaul of the legislation”, though duck the most important issue in behaviour, media policy, regulation and there is the need“to update media reform: how to cut back cross-media ownership should be dealt regulations to ensure they are fit for the corrosive scope and power of with by all the relevant authorities ...” the digital age.” Big Media. Lord Justice Leveson posted a series of Not all the responses said that, for TTen months of hearings have laid bare questions on the inquiry website and sure. Indeed, CPBF submission to the evidence of malpractice and corruption by invited responses. Not one of them related ministry a year opened with this News International on a grand scale. The to media ownership. Instead discussion is paragraph:“There is no doubt that problem has been clearly shown to be the centred on a new regime for regulating the regulatory structure for the power generated by the sheer size of the media content, to replace the discredited media in the UK is in need of change. Murdoch holdings in the UK – more than Press Complaint Commission. The only The current regime is confused and a third of the national newspapers market high-profile witness who has demanded a driven by an over simplistic and the dominating share of the biggest limit on ownership has been Labour conception of the social and and most profitable TV group in Europe. leader Ed Miliband, who said News Turn to page 2 Leveson was charged with producing Turn to page 2 proposals to stop any company amassing this kind of power again. The solution should be a limit on the range of media that any company can own, but related ‘The government is seeking to break the security developments at the inquiry and at the of the internet on a scale that the most culture department indicate that no such action is on the cards. ambitious dictator could hardly dream of’ The fourth and final stage of the inquiry – following the probes into the press, politicians and the police – was to open HORROR OF CYBER SNOOPING LAW PAGES 4-5 on July 9. Its stated remit is to produce rec - ommendations “for a new more effective policy and regulatory regime which sup - How Leveson let Tories off the hook PAGE 6 ports … the plurality of the media” and fp188:Free Press template changed fonts.qxd 03/07/2012 13:06 Page 2
News
From page one From page one For legislation that will set the Corporation should be forced to sell either future regulation of the broadcast the Sun or the Times because “no one per - economic purposes of mass media ad digital technology, their son should control 34% of the newspaper communications. The structures of subject matters are entirely market”. He said: “We should have no regulation are profoundly commercial, including: The Consumer worries of somebody owning up to 20 per undemocratic in constitution and the Perspective, Competition Content cent of the newspaper market … There is procedures adopted by the main Markets, Maximising the value of then a question of between 20 per cent to media regulator, Ofcom, can fairly be spectrum to support growth and 30 per cent where you should set a limit.” characterised as more concerned with innovation, and Driving investment His evidence was derided by commen - the commercial interests of the and growth in the UK’s TV content tators who made much of the difficulties industry it regulates than with the industries. in calculating shares of complex converg - wider interests of the public.” No mention is made in the ing – and declining – markets. BBC media The replacement seminars are programme of the need for regulation pundit Steve Hewlett wrote in the invitation-only, with a limited number to address the concentration of media Guardian that Lord Justice Leveson “visi - of places, though interested ownership – the great problem bly winced and it’s easy to see why. individuals can apply, and their exposed by the Leveson process; nor is “Miliband’s idea is deceptively simple. requests“will be considered”. there a single reference to the BBC. In a converging media marketplace, meas - uring and controlling newspaper owner - ship alone rather misses the point. TV “reforms to press regulation will fail if viewing, radio listening and internet use they are not accompanied by a more deci - all need to be taken into account. Once sive challenge to the concentration of FAR BETTER you do so the difficulties of measuring media ownership. anything meaningful multiply.” “We are concerned that this focus on Meanwhile the culture department is the need for structural change is in danger THAN THE PCC preparing for a new Communications of being lost amidst narrower discussions Act that could strengthen competition concerning freedom of expression and the law and introduce regulations on cross- best way to balance editorial independ - THE CPBF is calling for a Media ownership and the conduct of media cor - ence with public oversight, a debate large - Standards and Freedom Council to porations. But a planned Green Paper on ly framed by editors and proprietors. It is replace the Press Complaints communications to stimulate public vital that we do not lose sight of the over - Commission. debate has been summarily scrapped whelming need to break up the concentra - The proposal is in the campaign’s and replaced by a series of invitation- tions of media power that have corrupted evidence to the final stage of the only industry seminars whose British political life.” Leveson Inquiry. announced subjects ignore questions of It is not just campaigning groups that The MSFC would : ownership and control. have drawn attention to the need to curb G produce a code of ethical stan - The CPBF has urged Leveson to stick to Big Media power. dards and administer a public right his original remit. In its final submission it When it considered the Murdoch bid to to reply and redress on matters says: “This is a historic opportunity to buy out BSkyB, Ofcom warned that, once relating to the application of its address the totality of communications that move or any other merger was code of ethical standards. regulation. approved, “there is no subsequent oppor - G issue advice and guidance to the “The UK media system has high levels tunity or mechanism to address plurality media and the public investigate of concentration of ownership, bottlenecks concerns that may emerge.” and monitor media standards, own - and gateway control at key points across In other words, had it not been for the ership and control the press, TV, radio and online media mar - the phone-hacking scandal, News G investigate and monitor media kets. Current media ownership rules do Corporation would be the outright owner standards, ownership and control. not adequately protect pluralism.” of BSky, the Murdochs would be It would help members of the The Co-ordinating Committee for Media more powerful than ever before, and public make complaints to media Reform (CCMR), of which the CPBF is a there would be nothing anyone could do organisations, via an ombudsman member, has also told Leveson that about it. who would mediate with a view to achieving an agreed solution. Where no resolution is achieved it could order a publication to print a correction, retraction, clarification HOW TO STOP MORE MURDOCHS or apology. The CPBF’s formula to check the power of ings on the share across media markets. Any If an editor does not comply, the Big Media supplier with a 15 per cent share in a desig - MSFC could get the order enforced nated media market should be subject to a by the courts. THIRTY PER CENT must be the maximum PI test in respect of any merger or acquisi - The MSFC itself would have rep - share of any national media market that any tion in the same or another media market. resentatives of media owners and one company can control. The PI test was established by the editors, media unions and members That’s the CPBF’s formula for new owner - Communications Act 2003, and should be of the public. ship regulations in its submission to the revised and expanded to be applied by It would be financed by a levy on Leveson Inquiry. And any company hitting Ofcom at any time, not just, as at present, advertising revenues generated by 15 per cent of a market is liable to be subject - during takeover or merger bids. The mar - the publishers concerned. ed to conditions on its performance. kets concerned could be national and Its remit would cover not just The regime should centre on the “Public regional news in radio, television, newspa - newspapers but all print and online Interest” (PI) test, under which regulators pers, online). publications. would be able to assess the impact on media G These are summaries of the proposals sub - The only exceptions would be plurality. The campaign said: “Strong cross- mitted to Leveson. Full details are at broadcasters already regulated by ownership rules are needed with clear ceil - www.cpbf.org.uk Ofcom according to statutory regu - lations, and their websites.
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News News Editors’ cover is blown as the readers say what they want
T’S THE oldest riddle in the media quizbook: what’s the difference between a story in the public interest Serious reporting, not tittle-tattle and one that interests the public? Downmarket journalists say there’s Inone, which justifies any intrusive and Foods sold by a major supermarket have been offensive reporting; upmarket colleagues contaminated with bacteria 92 32 and media campaigners say there’s a world of difference. A High Court judge has large investments in foreign For once there is now an answer. companies linked to the illegal drugs trade 80 12 2 Opinion research carried out by YouGov for the British Journalism Review set out to test A schoolteacher has been passing on exam attitudes to the publication of stories that questions to her students to help their GCSE grades 70 22 4 involved intrusion into private life. The results confounded the belief that readers A company testing medicines is suspected of cruelty just want to read salacious gossip and don’t towards animals 7 21 5 care about journalistic practices. To establish how attitudes to “public A well-known England footballer, who is married interest” varied across different kinds of with young children, is having an affair 6 30 58 stories, the pollsters posed eight story lines and asked people whether newspapers A leading politician’s daughter is found drunk in should publish them. Respondents were public 2 22 69 offered three possible answers: that a story was: A member of a leading pop group has had cosmetic G definitely in the public interest and surgery to change the shape of her face 3 25 66 should be published G not in the public interest but nevertheless A contestant on Britain’s Got Talent who has reached should be published, or the final once tried to commit suicide 3 12 80 G a private matter and should not be pub - lished The results showed a strong feeling that intrusive reporting into private lives is not justified for stories that lack a genuine pub - IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND SHOULD BE PUBLISHED lic interest. Steven Barnett, professor at Westminster University whom commissioned the NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST BUT SHOULD BE PUBLISHED research for the BJR, said: “There was a very clear majority in favour of publication in the public interest, but for those stories NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND SHOULD NOT BE PUBLISHED which were more about inappropriate behaviour or misfortune relating to people in the public eye, there was an equally clear majority against publication. “With the footballer story you have two ingredients which – in the opinion of most They hope for better press regulation too tabloid editors – would make the story fair MOST BRITISH people trust intrusion into their private tried to defend themselves game, but most people think it should not the Leveson inquiry to lives.” 27 per cent against one another’s be published, and those figures barely deliver more effective disagreed. allegations.” change between readers of different kinds regulation of the press and Interestingly, however, And the same of newspaper. better protection of the the Times did not itself proportion felt that the “The British public understand the dis - public from intrusion, report this finding. It was inquiry had “received too tinction between watchdog journalism according to a poll carried one of a series of questions much coverage in the which holds power to account and celebri - out for the Times . apparently designed to media” – as if either ty journalism which has little public value In a poll carried out by discredit the Leveson proposition was the point. even if some of it might be ‘interesting’ Populus 59 per cent agreed process. The phantom question was (after all, most of us like a bit of juicy gos - that “the Leveson Inquiry The Times did report uncovered by Hacked Off sip). This survey has not been reported will lead to more effective that 61 per cent agreed that campaigner Brian Cathcart elsewhere. None of the newspapers has regulation of the press the “Leveson inquiry has who went through the data shown the slightest interest in survey data offering better protection lost its way as a procession on the website. which manifestly contradict the public to members of the public of politicians, journalists Now, who owns the views of most national newspaper editors,” against unwarranted and celebrities have simply Times again? Steven Barnett said.
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Cyber-snooping Cyber-snooping SPIES ON THE LINE Internet security is facing its biggest-ever threat, says SIMON DAVIES , and it comes from the UK government. The Communications Data Bill about to go through Parliament would set up the most pervasive and intrusive regime of cyber-snooping in the world. But there is a growing protest movement against it. Approaching 200,000 people had signed an online petition by the campaign group 38 Degrees as Free Press went to press
HE GOVERNMENT has published communications media. It asserts that It was, after all, proposing to reach legislation that will permanently online social networking, gaming sites, deep into the private life of everyone in cement Britain’s standing as the advanced email and mobile systems, the nation. The government had laid out developed world’s most watched voice-over IP and instant messaging have its cards that it wanted to know every - society. eclipsed the government’s ability to con - thing you do across the communications TThe Draft Communications Data Bill duct surveillance. spectrum. Labour strategists with long purports to make Britain safer by requir - They claim the measures are necessary memories recalled the bitter campaign of ing all phone and internet providers to because most investigations are conduct - resistance in the early 2000s against email retain detailed files of all online activity, ed post-fact and this requires the creation and phone snooping under RIPA. And emails, mobile phone location and every of a distributed national archive of every - with the Tories trying to build a civil lib - phone call. There will be no exceptions. one’s activity “just in case it is needed”. erties platform Labour needed to narrow Whether you send and email or text, visit Then the justification was the “class the divide. a gay sexual health website or call your Aunt Mabel in Maidstone, the govern - ACK THEN the scheme was ment will have the right to scrutinise that It is breaking the known as the “Interception activity for up to a year. security of the internet Modernisation Programme”. It The surveillance relates to “communi - was an idea that a London School cations data” (who contacted who, with on a scale that the of Economics report described what technology, in what location and at B(and I’m paraphrasing here) as a complete most ambitious dictator what time) rather than the content – lis - and utter technological farce without any tening in to a call or reading an email. But could hardly dream of evidential basis. The report went on to communications data surveillance is by warn that such a scheme would far the most intrusive technique. Imagine enemy”; now it is criminality. The level inevitably “result in a level of surveil - an informant sitting behind you and not - and process of mass infiltration is the lance never seen before”. ing down everything you do online. same in both cases. That’s why Germany, In an attempt to escape such savage Authority already exists under the with other countries such as Romania and attention and shake off the dogs of civil Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act the Czech Republic, has already ruled the liberties the scheme was dusted off and (RIPA) for government and police to technology unlawful. renamed the “Communications request communications data. In 2010 The scheme however is more than just Capabilities Development Programme”. public authorities made more than half a a mammoth threat to civil liberty. By The two are one and the same scheme. million such requests, a figure that rises 5 seeking to access major communications Neither has offered any evidential percent year on year and which is likely systems such as Gmail, which use foundation about the “threat” that the to rise even more once a richer reserve of encryption, the government is proposing scheme claims to target or the likely bene - data is available to them. to break the security of the internet on a fits to be realized as part of the “balance” On the basis of what we know about scale that the most ambitious dictator (sacrifice of rights) that must be made. existing requests, it’s clear that they have could scarcely dream of. Indeed the most entertaining common relatively little to do with crime preven - These planswere originally drawn up feature of the most intrusive surveillance tion and much more to do with govern - in the autumn years of the previous scheme of modern times is the extent to ment administration and tax collection. Labour administration but were shelved which Home Secretaries on both sides of The government argues that it needs shortly before the general election. the House – while extolling the scheme – these new powers to catch up with new Labour was right to sense an election risk. have fallen over themselves to establish
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Cyber-snooping Cyber-snooping
their deep regard for privacy and liber - ties. The government has tried to assuage SIR TIM JOINS civil liberties concerns by arguing that only terrorists and criminals have cause to fear – with a repeated emphasis on paedophiles. The paedophiles were only THE PROTEST recently wheeled in as a sort of PR patch. They certainly weren’t in evidence in INTERNET PIONEER Sir Tim Berners-Lee 2009. has joined the growing chorus of SPIES ON The introduction to the draft legislation condemnation over the legislation. plays down the intrusiveness of the new In an interview with the Guardian he measures, and infers it should be self evi - warned that the scheme would become dent that safeguards should be at a lower a “destruction of human rights” and level for communications data than for would make a huge amount of highly traditional phone intercept requests. intimate information vulnerable to The argument is flawed. The “traffic theft or release by corrupt officials. data” generated by mobile calls alone pro - Tim Berners-Lee said: “The idea that vides a wealth of information on who you we should routinely record information know and where you’ve been. Police and about people is obviously very other agencies have for more than 15 dangerous. It means that there will be years used systems such as Harlequin’s information around which could be THE LINE WatCall software to convert lists of phone stolen, which can be acquired through Internet security is facing its biggest-ever threat, says SIMON DAVIES , and it comes from the calls, obtained automatically (without corrupt officials or corrupt operators, any judicial oversight) from phone com - and [could be] used, for example, to UK government. The Communications Data Bill about to go through Parliament would set up panies, into “friendship networks” that blackmail people in the government or the most pervasive and intrusive regime of cyber-snooping in the world. But there is a can be matched with information in people in the military. We open police intelligence computers. ourselves out, if we store this growing protest movement against it. Approaching 200,000 people had signed an online The traffic data also contains informa - information, to it being abused.” petition by the campaign group 38 Degrees as Free Press went to press tion on the areas from which calls were “You get to know every detail, you made and the phones that are active in get to know, in a way, more intimate that specific location. The data can be details about their life than any person It was, after all, proposing to reach retrieved retrospectively or – depending that they talk to because often people deep into the private life of everyone in on the sophistication of the technology – will confide in the internet as they find the nation. The government had laid out in real time. When this data is combined their way through medical websites … its cards that it wanted to know every - with analysis of internet activity the or as an adolescent finds their way thing you do across the communications result is a devastatingly detailed profile of through a website about spectrum. Labour strategists with long a person’s movements, associations, inter - homosexuality, wondering what they memories recalled the bitter campaign of ests and transactions. are and whether they should talk to resistance in the early 2000s against email This legislation – despite a length of people about it.” and phone snooping under RIPA. And 36,000 words – is silent on the details of The distinguished engineer has in with the Tories trying to build a civil lib - exactly how this plan will work, its limits recent years become more vocal about erties platform Labour needed to narrow or the technology behind it. The type of his concerns over internet snooping by the divide. data available, who will gain access to it, government. His original optimism that for what purposes and in what circum - the internet could organically build ACK THEN the scheme was stances, are left to the order-making pow - solutions to circumvent such scrutiny known as the “Interception ers of the Home Secretary. seems to have taken a somber turn. Modernisation Programme”. It
was an idea that a London School R GUS HOSEIN , Executive L I S of Economics report described Director of the rights watchdog A R B Y
(and I’m paraphrasing here) as a complete Privacy International, was T
B R A
and utter technological farce without any scathing in his criticism: “In the P S U
evidential basis. The report went on to UK, we’ve historically operated P M warn that such a scheme would under the presumption that the govern - A D C inevitably “result in a level of surveil - ment has no business peering into the lance never seen before”. lives of citizens unless there is good rea - In an attempt to escape such savage son to – that people are innocent until attention and shake off the dogs of civil proven guilty. liberties the scheme was dusted off and This legislation would reverse that pre - renamed the “Communications sumption and fundamentally change the Capabilities Development Programme”. relationship between citizen and state, The two are one and the same scheme. and their relationship with their internet Neither has offered any evidential and mobile service providers. Yet there foundation about the “threat” that the are still big question marks over whether scheme claims to target or the likely bene - Facebook and Google will be brought fits to be realized as part of the “balance” under RIPA, and how far the government (sacrifice of rights) that must be made. is willing to go in undermining internet Indeed the most entertaining common security in order to fulfil its insatiable feature of the most intrusive surveillance desire for data.” scheme of modern times is the extent to G Simon Davies is the founder of Privacy which Home Secretaries on both sides of International and now works with the the House – while extolling the scheme – London School of Economics. He blogs at have fallen over themselves to establish www.privacysurgeon.com
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Politics Reviews How the Murdoch war was won
light-touch treatment when questioned but to respond to what the Sun ’s readers NICHOLAS JONES over the sequence of events that led the were telling the editor and the switch Conservatives, on his recommendation, would have taken place anyway, without tells how the Leveson to choose former News of the World edi - the help of Andy Coulson. tor as head of communications. In this the Prime Minister precisely Inquiry let the Tory Robert Jay left unasked questions echoed Tony Blair’s earlier evidence that regarding the need for due diligence in the same mysterious thing happened 12 leaders off the checking the former editor’s role in years earlier, without the efforts of Peter phone-hacking. Had the Conservative Mandelson and Alastair Campbell. hook over their Party made its own inquiries? And were David Cameron also insisted that no further checks made in the light of Andy Coulson’s ability to win over the dealings with the accumulating reports that challenged the Sun was not the reason why he was claim that only one reporter had been appointed. Regrettably Robert Jay did Murdoch press involved? not pursue the point nor press David George Osborne stressed repeatedly Cameron on Andy Coulson’s role in that Andy Coulson’s connections with reconnecting the Conservatives to the ESPITE ALL the hullabaloo over News International had not been a factor news agenda of the Sun and the News of the sensational appearance of in his appointment; he was chosen the World . Britain’s political leaders before because of his experience as editor of a In fact Andy Coulson did have a piv - Lord Justice Leveson, the inquiry national newspaper, running a national otal role. The Tories could not have done has failed to examine the nuts and newsroom, and his ability to handle the more to endorse such Sun campaigns as bDolts of the political patronage exercised hour-by-hour problems thrown up in a support for “Our Boys”, the sacking of by the Murdoch press. fast-moving news environment. Sharon Shoesmith over the death of Baby Both Prime Minister David Cameron Both he and David Cameron were P and the attacks on the “bloated BBC” and Chancellor George Osborne, when and the broadcasting regulator Ofcom. they gave evidence, were allowed to This was the day-to-day currency of a dodge the tricky questions on how they Osborne was given the developing relationship which culminat - had brought the Tories to toe the light-touch treatment ed in the Sun abandoning Labour during Murdoch line. the party’s 2009 conference. George Osborne – one of the key over appointing Coulson strategists in the Conservatives’ 2010 gen - I
eral election victory – said he “could not unchallenged in denying that they tried N O N
remember a specific strategy” by the to woo the support of the Murdoch press. G A C Conservatives to seek the endorsement of David Cameron was asked if he had tried O N
the Sun newspaper. to develop a strategy as to see how the A F E
Robert Jay QC, counsel for the inquiry, Sun might be won over. He replied: “No I T S let this vague reply pass without a single think we developed a strategy about how detailed supplementary question, mak - to explain the policies we believed in and ing no mention of the signed articles and how to spread them as far as we can.” exclusive interviews given by the George Osborne said: “We were aware Conservative leader David Cameron in of the importance of the Sun because of support of Sun campaigns. Perhaps the the role people think it plays in British politics but I don’t think there was a con - spiracy which fused the endorsement of David Cameron put a the Sun with the commercial interests of spin doctor’s gloss the Murdoch Press.” At this point Jay could have referred on the relationship to the News of the World ’s “exclusive” story in November 2008 about the “more most glaring omission of all was Robert than fifty” BBC executives who earned Jay’s failure to question Osborne on the more than the Prime Minister and David pre-election support given by the Cameron’s follow up article next day in Conservatives to the campaign in the the Sun: “Bloated BBC out of touch with READ Nicholas Jones’s commentary Sun and the N ews of the World for a viewers”. on all the political evidence at the freeze in the BBC licence fee – a freeze He might have asked about the Leveson Inquiry at www.cpbf.org.uk which was duly delivered by the coali - Conservatives’ pre-election commitment tion government within months of the to scale back the BBC which was trum - The campaign website also carries 2010 general election. peted with the Sun headline: “Cameron: podcasts on hot media topics, If Jay had taken the opportunity, he We’ll freeze the licence fee”; or about the presented by Nicholas Jones. Recent could have put George Osborne’s campaign by James Murdoch against the additions include: answers to the test: there were repeated broadcasting regulator Ofcom and David G Saving the BBC from itself: podcast examples of campaigns waged the Sun Cameron’s promise – again trumpeted by on the tasks facing the new Director- and News of the World which were the Sun – to return to government general endorsed by Cameron and were clearly Ofcom’s policy-making functions. G Leveson after Murdoch: podcast on the inspiration of the Conservatives’ spin David Cameron put a spin doctor’s the deception and consequences of doctor, Andy Coulson. “chicken and egg” gloss on the relation - the Murdoch’s evidence. The Chancellor was given similar ship: Rupert Murdoch had no alternative
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Politics Reviews IN THE FRONT ROW OF THE FIGHT
ARTHUR SCARGILL leads Yorkshire miners to Guttmann, who, he says was “one of the most photographers are crushed.” support the Grunwick strikers, 1982. This influential figures in the history of Alongside the image of Arthur Scargill is almost biblical scene is one iconic image photography”. another taken at Grunwick’s that shows I N
O from Andrew Wiard’s current exhibition, “Us The nature of photojournalism has strike-leader Jayabeen Desai confronting the N
G and Them”. changed, not least with digital technology, police on a picket line. A C Andrew Wiard has been tirelessly but to Andrew Wiard the biggest and most The caption reads: “The strike is not so O N
A chronicling radical campaigns and workers’ damaging change is in the market place. As much about pay; it’s about human dignity”. F E T
S struggles for more than four decades, from an active member of the NUJ, and passionate Andrew Wiard gives dignity to those he Grunwick, the Brixton riots and the about protecting his profession he says: photographs, with a sense that he is not only Greenham Common protests of the 1980s to “When I began picture agencies were run by observing the struggle but is part of that the 2010 student protest and last year’s people … whose life was photography. struggle as well. traveller evictions at Dale Farm. “Now the market is increasingly Janina Struk In 1974 he joined Report, the radical dominated by a few big buyers and few big GUs and Them is at the Karamel Gallery, 4 picture agency run by German exile Simon distributors, principally Getty, and freelance Coburg Road, London N22 6UJ until July 28
More specifically, he asks: “Has this pack mentality, and being too adversari - role changed over time? Are there some al, too easily duped and too negative. No care for the areas – asylum, crime, immigration, This is a remarkably detailed book, drugs, welfare, for example – where drawing not only on 40 years of journal - right-wing tabloids have more power istic experience, but over 150 inter - community because of their ability to fan public views with participants in the policy- fears, prejudices and anxieties. To what making process. Dean is careful not DEMOCRACY UNDER extent do the media change public simply to lay all the blame for ill- ATTACK: HOW THE MEDIA opinion. Perhaps more importantly, to thought-out and populist policies at the DISTORT POLICY AND what extent do ministers believe doors of the media (by which he actual - POLITICS tabloids influence public opinion and ly means the press, for the most part), Malcolm Dean adjust their decisions accordingly?” and the book is an intricate and subtle The Policy Press, £19.99 Malcolm Dean begins with an exami - study of the interplay between politi - nation of how the media responded to cians, media pressure groups, civil ser - the rise of the welfare state. He then vants, think tanks and social research examines media influence on policy- funders. ALCOLM DEAN launched the making on law and order, asylum, But what emerges is the sheer vile - Society section of the Guardian in poverty, education, health and social ness of most of the British press and the M1979, and edited it for 20 years. care, and housing. The final chapter, appalling pusillanimity of politicians He is thus the ideal author for a book Subverting Democracy, explores the who have allowed, indeed encouraged, which tries to answer the question: “seven sins of the reptiles”: dumbing this attack dog to develop and flourish what role do the media play in formu - down, being more interested in party in our midst. lating social policy? politicking than in policy issues, the rat Julian Petley
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Review The Murdochs: Tom’s part in their downfall
DIAL M FOR MURDOCH He called the Murdochs “Mafiosi”, Tom Watson and Martin even though they don’t mow down Hickman their critics with machine guns in the TIP OF A BIG ICEBERG Allen Lane, £14.99 street, as far as we know. THE AUTHORS have delivered a brave So his book, with its sinister title, book of extreme importance and might have been a crude self-serving interest, detailing the scope of News narrative of his own heroic deeds. The International’s neutering of fact that it is far from that, an excellent politicians of all hues and its control all-round account of the downfall of the of sections of New Scotland Yard from OM WATSON is the pugnacious Murdochs, is very greatly to his credit. the highest officers right down to the Labour backbencher who helped In practice it is to the credit of co- bobby on the beat. Tbring down the Murdochs by fight - author Martin Hickman, the There’s a notable comparison ing with weapons to which they had no Independent reporter who picked up on between top police officer John defence. the phone-hacking story to provide the Yates’s enthusiasm for pursuing the They are not accustomed to facing best coverage after the Guardian’s. The unproven allegations of selling public confrontation, dogged persist - combination of Tom Watson’s cam - peerages by Labour ministers and his ence and a refusal to be intimidated or paigning zeal and Martin Hickman’s indifference to the evidence of the bought off, just as they could not get a scrupulous reporting makes this a very extent of phone hacking; he admitted handle on the similar journalistic quali - good book. to the Parliamentary committee that ties displayed by Nick Davies at the It even incorporates criticisms of the he hadn’t even read it. Guardian. Journalists do what they’re Labour leadership’s attempts to lay off Tom Watson and Martin Hickman told, don’t they? the scandal and snuff out Tom Watson’s lift a very slimy stone to reveal the So, as a rule, do Labour MPs, and crusade. almost gangster-like power of News Tom Watson is an intensely tribal party A memo is embarrassingly presented International over any group or politician, a ferocious Brownite in in which MPs were instructed not to individual that dares to question Labour’s internecine conflict of the link the scandal with the BSkyB bid, their vile practices, comparing it 2000s. which concludes: “We must guard again with the sycophantic fawning He does not take prisoners. He forced against anything which appears to be of politicians who will drop a vote over the insertion of a gratuitous attacking a particular newspaper group everything to traipse across “not fit and proper” clause in the out of spite.” continents at their master’s call. Commons culture committee report into The book has had the fortune to come The information garnered by the phone-hacking, just to manoeuvre the out a while before the one that will authors is definitely more than the Tories into seeming to defend the inevitably push it into the shade: the tip of the iceberg. But there still is an Murdochs, when a unanimously account from Nick Davies that is said to abundance of information to come. unfavourably report might have been be on the way. Brian Donovan politically more effective. Tim Gopsill
Free Press is edited by Tim Gopsill on behalf of the National Council. This issue went to press on July 1. Send letters, comments, articles and ideas to [email protected]
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