According to the Newspaper Society: His letter highlights six “fundamental concerns” which regional and local publishers and editors have about the party leaders’ draft Royal Charter proposals.
The proposals take no account of Lord Justice Leveson’s recommendations in relation to local newspapers, he said. Setting up a single Recognition Panel for all types of newspapers and magazines would mean that “whilst it may be possible for regional and local newspapers to set up their own Regulator, the Regulator will not be able to obtain recognition unless it meets the same recognition criteria as will apply to a Regulator established to cover national newspapers.”
The state-sponsored recognition criteria were “inflexible and incapable of alteration without Parliamentary approval.” They included establishing an arbitration scheme which would be free for complainants to use. The NS will be submitting a separate detailed paper to the CMS Committee and to the DCMS on the industry’s “deep concerns” over the party leaders’ proposed arbitration scheme.
“All categories of newspapers - including small weekly newspapers - will be required to finance and be bound by a ‘recognised’ Regulator if they are to obtain some protection from the new exemplary damages and cost rules which have been introduced,” said Mr Jeakings.
“This will create a substantial financial burden for regional and local newspapers and force them into a system of regulation and control which is inequitable given their behaviour and conduct was exonerated by Lord Justice Leveson. It is regrettable that discussions with the Secretary of State and DCMS officials have to date indicated that there would not be the flexibility for regional and local newspapers to create their own system of independent regulation with separate recognition and compliance criteria.”
