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Censored? Media silence over latest Coulson claims
Left Foot Forward web site
DATELINE: 5/10/10
The following was posted on the Left Foot Froward website yesterday by Shamik Das, before last night's Dispatches was televised at 8.00pm, The programme was fronted by Telegraph journalist Peter Oborne. Commenting earlier today on the same site, Richard Lawson said: 'This scandal is not just about the ethics (or lack of them) of tabloid newspapers, but also about the relationship between the Metropolitan Police Service and the news of the World, and the influence of Rupert Murdoch at the heart of Government. It requires a full set of reforms, including these, which were agreed at the last Green party Conference:
1. An independent inquiry, whether judicial or by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Police.
2. The MPS to release all information relating to illegal surveillance to those affected by it
3. A fresh investigation into the surveillance by a police force other than the Met Police Service.
4. Mobile phone companies to review and improve their customers' security
5. The setting up of a Media Commission, along the lines of the Banking Commission, to review and make recommendations on better journalistic practices, including the matter of undue domination of the media by a single person or corporation.
6. An amnesty for past acts of illegal surveillance by journalists, in order to get a fresh start without an unmanageable number of individual court cases
7. The Press Complaints Commission to be replaced by a body with real authority to correct errors within the media.'Shamik Das writes:
Tonight's Dispatches programme, to be screened at 8:00 on Channel Four, makes further, potentially fatal allegations against David Cameron's director of communications Andy Coulson. But despite being press released well in advance, hardly any media outlets are running the story – it only appears in the Guardian, Mail, Independent and New Statesman. Not even the BBC is covering it.
Dispatches alleges that, while editor of the News of the World, Mr Coulson listenened to intercepted voicemail messages on the mobile phones of prominent figures – a claim he has always denied. Indeed, Mr Coulson denies even knowing the intercepts were being carried out. The claims are made by a former senior journalist at the paper.
The witness claims:
"Andy was a very good editor. he was very conscientious and he wouldn't let stories pass unless he was sure they were correct… so, if the evidence that a reporter had was a recorded phone message, that would be what Andy would know about.
"So you'd have to say: 'Yes, there's a recorded message.' You go and either play it to him or show him a transcript of it, in order to satisfy him that… it wasn't made up… It was fairly common – not so common that everybody was doing it. But the people who did know how to do it would do it regularly."
This morning, Labour MP Tom Watson wrote to the prime minister calling on him to suspend Mr Coulson while further investigations are carried out. He writes:
…I think it is necessary for you to make a statement in Parliament on this matter next week. If a government minister were to be the subject of similar allegations, they would be forced to stand down immediately while an investigation is carried out. We are now at the point where I firmly believe you should consider a similar course of action with regards to Mr Coulson's conduct.
I am sure you would agree misleading a parliamentary committee of the House of Commons is a very serious matter, and therefore these allegations need to be investigated. Parliament and the public would expect nothing less from you.
When appearing before the culture, media and sport select committee in July 2009, Mr Coulson had said:
"I was, as you know, editor of the News of the World for four years from January 2003 until January 2007. During that time I never condoned the use of phone hacking and nor do I have any recollection of incidences where phone hacking took place."
This is not the first time potentially damaging stories about Mr Coulson have been ignored by the BBC and the Murdoch empire. Last month, Left Foot Forward reported the media silence over similar claims about his involvement in phone tapping made in the New York Times. Aside from the hacking scandal, Mr Coulson's tenure at the News of the World has been dogged by claims of bullying, of "the venom of Andy Coulson".• Dispatches: Tabloids, Tories and Telephone Hacking airs tonight at 8:00pm on Channel Four, and is available to view online on 4oD soon after.
Last modified: Wednesday, October 20, 2010
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World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
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Previous stories
Journalism Ethics
Nick Clegg's rise could lock Murdoch and the media elite out of UK politics
The return of buggingate
Leaking in the public interest
Judge puts reporting ban on Alfie Patten 'dad at 13' story
Privacy and the Press
Painful lessons (but 60,000 smackers won't even make NoW wince)
The future of spin: Conservatives would perpetuate New Labour control freakery
Enoch Powell: how the 'Rivers of Blood Speech' was spun in advance
What lies behind the front page apology
Media intrusion: sharing the blame
Ken's Islam study
War spin fall-out 'will be traumatic'
Sound Advice
The History of Spin
Can we trust the broadcasting media?
US journalist freed after record-breaking jail term
Media regulation - battle lines drawn?
New enquiry into press self-regulation
Independent journalist facing jail
Jail for journalists
Landmark Lords Libel Ruling
MEPs campaign to protect sources
It Ain't Half Homophobic, Mum: DeGrading the BBC
European Parliament initiative on protecting sources
'Conversation with a child trafficker'
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The Moral Mirror
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Source's victory for Ackroyd
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