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PCC is 'farcical', says ex-director of public prosecutions
Jane Martinson. Guardian
DATELINE: 6/2/10
A leading lawyer has called this week for independent regulation of the press, and for "all credible media organisations" to withdraw from the "farcical" Press Complaints Commission. Sir Ken Macdonald, visiting professor of law at the LSE and the former director of public prosecutions, told an audience of editors and lawyers: "The press may think the PCC works, but they are living in a dream world. Nobody else does."
His comments were echoed by others at the event on gagging the press, including the former Formula 1 chief Max Mosley, former TV presenter Anna Ford, the editors of the Guardian and Financial Times, and deputy editor of the Daily Telegraph.
The issue of privacy and the crippling cost of fighting defamation cases has become more topical after last week's overturning of a super-injunction by the England football captain, John Terry.
As the self-regulation body of the UK newspaper industry, the PCC has come under fire for lacking transparency and failing to promote accountability within the press. Last August, it launched the first independent review of its governance structure since it was created 18 years ago.
Alan Rusbridger, the Guardian editor, said the credibility of the PCC was "clinging by its fingertips", and that recent investigations had been "embarrassing". The PCC's current review should work out whether it has the capacity to be a regulator or a mediator, he said.
Bob Satchwell, director of the Society of Editors, said statutory regulation would be a worse option, while Eric Barendt, media law professor at University College London, praised the PCC's "valuable free remedy" for people who are not in the public eye.
Thursday 4 February 2010 23.56 GMT guardian.co.uk
Last modified: Saturday, February 6, 2010
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Events & Announcements
Nick Davies, Bad News: Benn Journalism Lecture 2009
DATELINE: 1/12/09Commercial imperatives are elbowing out truth in the UK media, says Nick Davies who reviewed media lies and the state of journalism in Britain today in the fourth Benn Lecture at Bristol Arnolfini Arts Centre on 26 November.
Bad News, 2009 Benn Lecture - mp3 12M
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