The death throes of Freedom of Speech in the UK.

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   innersmiffposted 11 years ago

   The coalition government has struck a deal to produce an 'independent' press regulatory system, and has called it 'voluntary', yet publishers will be subject to fines for not agreeing to it, and sent to prison for non-payment of fines, naturally making it not voluntary.
   
   http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyy … necessary/
   
   Regulations would cover: "'News-related material' including current affairs news and information, opinion and 'gossip about celebrities, other public figures and other persons in the news.'" Basically everything important then.
   
   Nobody agrees with the invasive methods of journalism that certain sections of the media took part in, but this doesn't mean the entire industry should be subject to a regulatory system. The injustices were due to laws not being enforced properly, not the lack of laws. An enforced regulatory system sets a precedent that outside bodies have the right to dictate what a newspaper can and cannot say/do. It will be there for years to come, and to be built upon by politicians influenced by special interests that wish to quash competition and dissent.
   
   Voice your own dissent to your MP, and urge your favoured publication not to consent to the regulatory body.

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      Uninvited Writerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Sounds like the fairness doctrine that used to control mass media, before it was abandoned and gossip and libel and slander took over the media...

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      1. 67

         innersmiffposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         The market deals adequately with publications that use unsavoury methods of journalism, as is evidenced by the rejection of mainstream televisual news and newspapers for alternative internet media over the past few years. Press regulation is wholly unnecessary and anti-freedom-of-speech.

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      John Holdenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      There's nothing intrinsically wrong with regulation to protect people in the public eye from salacious and harmful gossip - there is plenty wrong with a society that needs that regulation.
      
      Having said that the proposed regulation is draconian and grossly unfair - just what we'd expect from this right wing government.

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2. 64

   maxoxam41posted 11 years ago

   After  the US, France, now Great-Britain, welcome to our democracies!

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