Don’t let peers muzzle our free Press
WE LIVE in dangerous times when the unelected House of Lords can vote for a law to curb Press freedom. The public aren’t obliged to buy a particular newspaper if they don’t like it, but we all cherish the principle of the freedom of the Press to investigate wrongdoing and expose the Establishment’s secrets. The proposed amendments will be welcomed by criminals and prominent people who want to hide behind the protection of the law to avoid the exposure of embarrassing or fraudulent activity. The Press would have to pay all the legal costs in data protection cases, even if they win, and it would be a windfall for lawyers, who would queue up to take on clients. The public has a right to know what is going on, and those in power — elected and unelected — need to carry out their responsibilities fairly and lawfully. Had this law been introduced years ago, would we have known about the Profumo scandal or the full extent of the thalidomide tragedy, which newspapers exposed? Three Royal Commissions have investigated the Press and their reports all supported the principle of freedom of the Press and self-regulation. We are living in a different world with the advent of social media. While it is important that some aspects of individual privacy are safeguarded, we need a balance. Instead of moving forward and recognising the value and the future role of the Press in the age of modern technology, the Leveson Inquiry sought to give protection to celebrities and prominent people in public life. Do we really want the curbing of the Press, censorship and political pressures on businesses to stop buying the Daily Mail? Until Richard Branson’s intervention yesterday, Virgin Trains was going to stop its passengers having a good read on a boring journey. We should all lobby our MPs to stop the Lords’ amendments when they go to the Commons. The Press is a cherished institution. Introducing a silly law to muzzle the Press will not have the support of the majority of the right-thinking people in this country.
JOHN WARMAN, former member of the Press Council,
Neath, Port Talbot. BY VOTING to restrict Press freedom, we must assume that peers in the House of Lords were wounded by journalists’ revelations of their attendance levels and expenses claims, and are anxious to avoid further scrutiny.
CAROL TOMLINSON, Wantage, Oxon.