Britain seals deal to regulate press

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 12 years ago

LONDON: Britain's three main political parties agreed on Monday to create a new system to regulate the country's scandal-hungry newspapers, after a public inquiry exposed a culture of industrial-scale phone hacking and other unethical behavior.

The deal, which was expected to pass through parliament later on Monday, will establish a new press regulator, introduce fines of up to 1 million pounds and oblige newspapers to print prominent apologies where appropriate.

The system will be voluntary, but there will be strong financial incentives to encourage newspapers to opt into it.

"What we have today, which is a good thing, is a cross-party agreement," said a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron, saying the deal was struck in the early hours of Monday morning.

"It will put in place a strong system of independent regulation of the press."

The government came under pressure to create a new regulatory system after a judge-led inquiry and a series of arrests laid bare a disturbing culture of phone hacking and malpractice in some parts of the press.

The way that some tabloid newspapers reported the disappearance and death of two children attracted particular criticism.

But concerns that any deal would imperil press freedom delayed agreement, with some press barons threatening to boycott a new regulatory regime and campaigners for tougher regulation accusing Cameron of being in thrall to the press.

Monday's deal spares Cameron what was shaping up to be an embarrassing political defeat in parliament that would have deepened rifts in his coalition government.

The three parties had been divided over whether a new press regulator should be enshrined in law and over how its members would be chosen, but reached a compromise after agreeing to enact legislation to ensure the new system cannot be easily altered later. - Reuters