The Telegraph editorial said: In a country governed by the rule of law, the independence of the press is a constitutional necessity. It is fundamental to the continued exercise, indeed the survival, of the liberties that we sometimes take for granted.
Newspapers are not above the law – nor do they wish to be. It is widely accepted in the industry that the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) needs to be reformed – more independent members should be recruited, it should have greater power of sanction, and contractual obligations should be placed upon newspapers.
It is nevertheless essential that the press remains self-regulating. Yet on several occasions, Lord Justice Leveson has signalled that he believes the reformed regulatory body needs to be underpinned by statute, and it is apparent that this view is gaining currency in political circles.
Once a regulatory measure, however well intentioned, is on the Statute Book, MPs will seek to define the public interest in law, and governments will be tempted to use the legislation to choke off dissent.
Statutory bodies, once created, tend to grow and seek additional powers – they become bureaucracies. And it is no coincidence that countries with the highest levels of corruption have the most tightly regulated media.
Britain can boast one of the least venal political systems in the world precisely because its press is not beholden to the state in any way, either through statute or, equally as bad, through subsidy.
“Those who regard statutory regulation as an acceptable quid pro quo for state financial help do not have the interests of a free press at heart. This includes pressure groups that talk blithely of public subventions for “high-quality” journalism, but that are in reality attempting to constrain the influence and reach of Right-of-centre and tabloid newspapers that have traditionally opposed Labour.
We are sleepwalking into a world in which such ostensibly demotic stories – which actually reveal deeper truths and spark useful national debates – will be officially frowned upon. The growing clamour for press regulation backed by statute threatens a priceless British freedom. A Conservative prime minister should have no part of it.
