Plans for new regulator put free press on the line
A consultation is to be launched on whether all newspapers not signed up to a state-sanctioned press regulator should be made to pay legal costs if they get sued, regardless of the result.
Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Karen Bradley announced on Tuesday a decision will be made in 10 weeks on whether to enact Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act – which offers a carrot and stick for publishers.
The carrot? Publications signed up to regulator approved by the Press Recognition Panel (PRP) – the body set up by the government in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry – will pay heavily discounted legal costs linked to any legal action, even if they lose.
The stick? Those which are not a member of a PRP-approved regulator will have to pay all the costs, win or lose.
The only regulator to achieve or seek approval so far is IMPRESS, which is funded by motor racing tycoon Max Mosley.
IMPRESS, which has 26 members, is in competition with the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), which has more than 2,600 – roughly 90% of all publications in the UK – including the KM Media Group. There was hint of how things may turn out earlier this week when MPs narrowly defeated a House of Lords amendment to the Investigatory Powers Bill which would have brought in Section 40 through the back door, but nothing is clear yet.
The News Media Association said: “We welcome the vote by MPs to stand up for a free press and strike out the Lords’ amendment.
“Leveson called for effective self- regulation of the press, not statutory regulation. We hope the consultation will demonstrate Ipso offers just that and why Section 40 should be repealed.”
The entire media industry, particularly local newspapers, are very concerned about the outcome of the consultation because signing up to a statesanctioned watchdog is a threat to free press and having to pay potentially huge legal fees even if no wrongdoing has occurred is a potential death-blow, especially to smaller publications.
The situation is made worse for many by the fact currently the only Leveson-compliant regulator is backed financially by a man who has had a very public fight with the press after being exposed for taking part in a sadomasochistic orgy.