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Leveson 'loading a gun' against papers, warns Independent's editor
guardian.co.uk, 30 August
DATELINE: 31/8/12
The editor of the Independent has said he fears that Lord Justice Leveson is "loading a gun" against the industry as he prepares his final report and recommendations following his inquiry into press culture and ethics. Chris Blackhurst said a letter issued by Leveson to all major national and regional newspapers warning them of potential criticism he may make in his report amounts to a "demolition of the industry".
Blackhurst told BBC Radio 4's The Media Show on Wednesday afternoon that there was nothing positive in the letter, which runs to more than 100 pages. "It is a damning indictment of my industry," he said. He added that "some of the criticisms are certainly justified", but that others "raise eyebrows" and do not bear any relation to practices at his paper or other titles at his "end of the market".
Blackhurst said his reaction was one of "shock and anger that it is so one-sided. It's a diatribe". He said: "It throws the book at the industry. The best way I can describe it is he's loading a gun, and this document – well over 100 pages – is all the ammunition. And believe you me, there is plenty of ammunition, you read the ammunition and you just gulp."
The letter was sent to newspapers under Rule 13 of the Inquiry Rules 2006, which obliges Leveson to give those he intends to criticise a right to reply before publication of his report, in which he will make recommendations to the government about the future regulation of the industry. The report is expected to be published in the autumn.
Rule 13 letters are by their nature one-sided as they are solely about giving individuals or corporate bodies an opportunity to give reasons why criticism in the final report in a public inquiry is not justified.
Blackhurst said Leveson could be presenting the worst-possible scenario and would subsequently rein in the criticism.
However, Leveson has made it clear during public hearings that the letters are part of the process which the inquiry must legally carry out. Clause 13 (3) of Rule 13 states that an "inquiry panel must not include any explicit or significant criticism of a person in the report, or in any interim report, unless the chairman has sent that person a warning letter; and the person has been given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the warning letter".
Others who have seen the letter said the appeals court judge has thrown the "kitchen sink" at the newspaper industry. "It is excoriating," said one newspaper industry source.
Blackhurst said the letter is not written in emotional language or filled with "red-blooded adjectives", adding that it is a straightforward, point-by-point list of criticisms of the industry. "Presented as an overall picture, it is a damning indictment of my industry," he added.
Blackhurst, who did not go into detail about the contents of the letter because of strict legal rules about confidentiality, said "there was an awful lot in there unjustified … [which] I don't recognise in relation to ourselves".
Blackhurst's comments angered Leveson who sanctioned a statement saying he was "disappointed that the contents of confidential letters" were being "openly discussed in the press".
The statement said the "misrepresentation" of the letters was "not without significance". "By their nature such letters are, of course, one sided document and are not intended (as it makes clear) to deal with the positive aspects of the activities of the press: plainly, no warning is necessary for that purpose," it added.
Meanwhile, the former Times journalist Patrick Foster was arrested on Wednesday by Metropolitan police detectives investigating computer hacking. Foster was arrested at his home address in north London early on Wednesday morning and questioned at a north London police station. The Met said the arrest related to suspected offences under the Computer Misuse Act and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Scotland Yard added that the arrest related to the "identification of a previously anonymous blogger in 2009". The blogger is understood to be Richard Horton, a police constable who was unmasked by the Times as the man behind the NightJack blog in July 2009. Horton's blog, which won the prestigious Orwell prize for its descriptions of a PC's life, was then closed down and he was reprimanded by his police superiors. Foster was later released on bail to a date in November, police said.
© 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
Last modified: Tuesday, September 18, 2012
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Previous stories
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Alastair Campbell at Leveson: great theatre Mr Jay, shame about the questions
Brooks at Leveson: an insight into how the Sun exploited the political endorsement of the Murdoch press
Coulson at Leveson: a former spin doctor's master class in closing down unhelpful questions
It's not just about Murdoch - the whole system needs fixing
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After Leveson… What future for the media?
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Leveson Inquiry shock news: Rupert Murdoch says his political influence was just 'a myth'
Now we come to the dark heart of this strange affair
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Money talks: no wonder so many rival journalists were beaten by the Sun's exclusive stories
If the Sun hates attacks on press freedom, how must it despise itself!
Jeremy Hunt calls for regulation of press content free of political interference...but no promise that politicians will refrain from meddling in media ownership
Iraq War: "Implacable support" of Murdoch press a key factor for Blair
Women's groups - Leveson must back ban on sexualized images in media
