Press Freedom BS

Published on January 22, 2012 by The Editor · No Comments

The Wowster examines the smokescreen of Press Freedom at the Leveson inquiry

What price Press Freedom? That was the question and it was expected to bring the Leveson Inquiry shuddering to a halt.

The question was put by Ian Hislop, the admirable Editor of Private Eye and scourge of the famous.

He started off his evidence in fine form castigating the antics of Prime Minister David Cameron:

He didn’t exactly say the following, but he should have:

Mr Cameron organises slumber parties for the eavesdropping journalists and press owners.

What he doesn’t realise that they may be sleep walking into deep trouble.

But then Hislop goes on to his copybook with the assertion of a libertarian that we must be careful not to throw out the baby (press freedom) with the bath water (disreputable journalism).

Indeed not, Ian. But the answer to that is to only investigate intrusion of privacy where it is not clearly in the public interest, whatever the manner of the way it was obtained.

Meanhwile, as longs as most of the Fleet Street Editors and proprietors are not at least facing serious criminal charges, the rest is pantomime.

Hislop at the inquiry

The Wowster is the pen name of Nathan Goldberg, wowdewow publisher and founder. A man of moral certitude.

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