Some time ago, a man was arrested by police on suspicion that he may have been involved in the disappearance and murder of a young woman in Bristol. The newspapers and other media went to town and had him tried, convicted and sentenced on their front pages within moments, although the man was eventually released without charge, having been determined to have had no part in the crime.
Today's papers are in serious danger of repeating this disaster by covering, in great depth, a story concerning a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. This man has been arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault though he's also been released on police bail, suggesting that any evidence is less than robust. Nonetheless, his career as a politician may well be over and, if he's ultimately determined to be innocent of any offences, it will be purely because of the manic behaviour of the press.
Lord Leveson's recommendations and the Government's proposals for regulating the press have been largely condemned by the self-same press; they claim that 'freedom of the press' is a fundamental element of any democracy and that they should be allowed to regulate themselves, which they can do in a highly responsible fasion. Sadly, this latest piece of headline-hunting journalism by almost every newspaper shows, very strongly, that they cannot.
Our newspapers are out of control, desperately seeking headlines that will make them money. Something needs to be done and it can't be done by themselves; that leaves some form of independent regulation as the only option and the sooner it's put in place, the better.
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