23-01-2011, 05:52 PM
1
The British Press
So a man who isn't Mr Jefferies has just been charged with murdering landscape architect Jo Yeates.Rewind 3 weeks...
The Sun, 31st December 2010
The Sun, 1st January 2011...
But what's this? One week later, The Sun more-or-less acknowledges they believe the killer is still on the loose...
If Mr Jefferies sues for libel and wins, expect a "correction" buried somewhere at the bottom of page 14 - something that will do little to restore the man's reputation.
And without meaning to get overly political, god help us if Rupert Murdoch succeeds in acquiring all of Sky News and the government then agrees to relax impartiality rules on broadcast news - which seems to be where they're heading.
Though admittedly it wasn't just the Sun - other 'usual suspects' were at it...
I'm generally not in favour of regulation, but in the case of the press I think I would welcome more, not less. I know there's a balance to be struck between a press with the freedom to do its job but occasionally be wrong, and a press that publishes recklessly in the knowledge that any punitive damages will never hurt it.
I think the balance is still wrong.
As it stands, they know they can get away with all sorts of lies, hurt, nonsense, because the sensational content outweighs the amount they would have to pay in libel costs (and minimal reputation/commercial damage from the people who continue to buy these rags, who just take it in their stride.)
Be interested to know what the press is like in other countries, and what everyone else thinks about this.
23-01-2011, 07:17 PM
3
Re: The British Press
Sadly it seems to be acceptable for 'the press' to do what it likes.I guess it helps that it can be 'tweaked' to say the required things politically and under certain circumstances if the price is right. Presumably that price is freedom to totally destroy lives without justification.
I wonder who ultimately pays when umpteen people sue for the kind of treatment Mr Jeffries was subjected to.
As for who owns the so called British press .... don't get me started .....
23-01-2011, 10:48 PM
5
Re: The British Press
Originally Posted by Azz
->
Be interested to know what the press is like in other countries,
1) As I'm sure you know Eastern Europe did not have a 'free' press from 1947 up to about 1990 when the communists were booted out. From about 1990 all the media have been falling over themselves to 'prove' they can print what they like and frequently indulge in title tatle and sensation grabbing stories. Phone tapping is common (Where do you think all those commi phone tap technicians went when communism died
) 2) There is no facility for individuals to sue for damages, it's just not done here, if you break your leg at work that is just too bad, you were unlucky, so anyone wrongly taken into custody and interviewed by the Police has no chance of claiming damages, and in 20 years there has never been any 'damages' cases taken out against the newspapers
Put those two facts together and I think you can see that it's worse than in UK hard 'tho that might be to imagine
24-01-2011, 09:16 AM
7
Re: The British Press
Originally Posted by Antibrown
->
This is one reason why I NEVER buy a newspaper.I dont believe them, I dont trust them and there is not enough salt for me to take with the stories.
The press can ruin a person life even if they are innocent they just don't give up and if they are proved wrong they just drop the person involved in many occasions without an apology and they have to deal with that for the rest of their lives...
24-01-2011, 02:20 PM
8
Re: The British Press
Originally Posted by Antibrown
->
and there is not enough salt for me to take with the stories.
and after going through my shredder I use them to pack stuff I want to send in the mail or even put on the compost heap.But actually read them, no way. I can't remember the last time I paid for a newspaper in WH Smiths.
24-01-2011, 04:13 PM
9
Re: The British Press
Originally Posted by Antibrown
->
This is one reason why I NEVER buy a newspaper.I dont believe them, I dont trust them and there is not enough salt for me to take with the stories.
24-01-2011, 07:04 PM
10
Re: The British Press
Originally Posted by plantman
->
How do you keep up with current events AB, not the good old unbiased BBC?
I use the internet Barry.
There is so much information out there and the towns and cities that have their own web sites and all the information that you need.
I frequently visit places abroad to see what is happening in other lands.
Newspapers sensationalise stories so that they can sell papers plus they print qoutes from people which they take out of context and try to make it look bad/good whichever they want.
|
|
