Bob Satchwell (pictured), executive director of the Society of Editors, said that principle as well as practicalities should not be forgotten in finding a workable solution to the future of press regulation.
He said: “The industry is already taking urgent steps to create a new regulatory system as recommended by Leveson and it will study Labour’s proposals carefully. It notes that Labour has reflected and stepped back from the Leveson proposal for oversight by Ofcom but any new system must be free of statutory intervention both now and for the future.
“What is equally important is that this should not be driven by party politics.. It is more important that the new body is as effective as both the press and public demand of it than to be driven by the Parliamentary timetable. Lord Justice Leveson heard evidence and deliberated for more than a year. Through Lord Hunt the industry has made huge steps to implement his recommendations without interfering with the valuable role the press plays in society.”
“Labour proposes a “guarantee” for media freedom but there cannot be a part free media and there lies the difficulty of recognising in law the system and which part of the media it affects.
"It's not just a matter of practicalities in finding an effective and responsible system of regulation, but a vital principle that must not forgotten. The press represents and acts on behalf of the public, defending its right to know. The press fundamentally exists in order to scrutinise those in positions of power. It could not do that if those it was scrutinising were given any authority or the threat to exercise power over it."
