Freedom of the press

Theresa May is worried about the future of the press. Newspapers are central to our democracy yet face commercial pressures greater than at any time in their history. But while the Prime Minister’s concern is well intentioned, we need to be convinced that a government review is what is required. The danger with any state inquiry into the press is that it risks becoming a way of controlling or influencing it.

There are several measures the Government could take that would help revive newspapers

– and especially local publications – without a review. First, it could reverse the tendency for councils to make most of their decisions behind closed doors and allow their deliberations to be reported on fully.

Second, public servants, such as the police, military and others who in the past were happy to talk to newspapers, should be encouraged to do so once more. Since the Leveson inquiry into newspaper ethics, these contacts have almost ceased, to the detriment of good public discourse.

Third, the threat of another Leveson inquiry should be lifted and a measure passed by the Lords to force newspapers to sign up to a state-backed regulator faced down in the Commons. Fourth, the BBC should be pressed to restrict its incursion into the territory of local papers.

The government review is to examine the best sustainable funding models to underpin quality journalism; but at the risk of sounding churlish, we question whether that is the state’s job. Competition for advertising revenues from new media is enormous. But in an era of “fake news”, many people trust the press more, provided it can function freely and without favour.