Great Britain seeks new press ethics
The British press urgently needs new ethical standards, but its freedom must not be restricted. This was stated by the chairman of a judicial commission of inquiry, Brian Leveson, on Monday in London. Freedom of the press is fundamentally important for British democracy.
The commission, which intends to investigate working methods in editorial offices in the coming months, is part of the investigation into the scandal surrounding the News of the World newspaper. Among other things, it will make recommendations on how the interests of the press, politics and the police can be better separated in future.
The scandal surrounding the News of the World, which belongs to Rupert Murdoch's group, revealed that phone tapping and bribes to the police were common practice there. The tabloid was shut down in July.
Rumors had repeatedly surfaced that similar means were also being used by other newspapers and media. The British tabloid press is known for its often outspoken reporting - but the News of the World scandal has weakened Britons' trust in their media as a whole. Only 38 percent of them believe what they read in the newspapers, according to a survey published on Monday. A good half of respondents said the scandal had lowered their faith in the media overall.
Justice Minister Kenneth Clarke called for stricter self-regulation of the media on Monday. Only if this worked could the media escape state control. Among others, the parents of a young murdered girl whose phone was tapped could be called to the witness stand at the hearings in the coming weeks. Actors Sienna Miller and Hugh Grant, Harry Potter author Joanne K. Rowling and the parents of the missing girl Madeleine McCann could also be questioned. (SDA/DPA)
