30-11-2012, 02:13
No idea what Cameron or Clegg plan to do about press regulation, but the Leveson report recommends an "independent" regulator supervised by Ofcom. By law any newspaper that does not sign up to the independent regulator will be regulated by Ofcom instead.
So thats all right then.
Ofcom will "recognise" the press standards body
Ofcom will review that recognition every few years
Who would sit on this new regulator? Independents with experience of the industry appointed (by Ofcom*) through a fair and transparent process.
Quotes from the Leveson Executive Summary
So thats all right then.
Ofcom will "recognise" the press standards body
Quote:31. The role of recognition body, that is to say, to recognise and certify that any particular body satisfies (and, on review, continues to satisfy) the requirements set out in law should fall
on Ofcom.
Ofcom will review that recognition every few years
Quote:30. The operation of any certified body should be reviewed by the recognition body after two years and thereafter at three yearly intervals
Quote:72. What would the legislation achieve? ... Second, it would provide an independent process to recognise the new self-regulatory body and reassure the public that the basic requirements of independence and effectiveness were met and continue to
be met; in the Report, I recommend that this is done by Ofcom. Third, by recognising the new body, it would validate its standards code and the arbitral system ...
Who would sit on this new regulator? Independents with experience of the industry appointed (by Ofcom*) through a fair and transparent process.
Quote:58. The appointment of the Chair, and other members, of the body must be independent. In the Report I recommend that this should be achieved through the establishment of an independent appointments panel (which could include one current editor but with a* The report does not say appointed by Ofcom, but who else? The regulator cant appoint its own members, the industry cant if it is independent of industry. Parliament and the DCMS cant if it is independent of politicians. The general public have no representative body, other than Parliament. Unless Watchdog do it.
substantial majority demonstrably independent of the press), and I provide detailed criteria for ensuring sufficient independence from both the Government and the industry. This high degree of demonstrable independence from both political and commercial interests is crucial to a self-regulatory system achieving the public trust that is required.
59. The critical feature of the body which I propose is that its Board and Chair should all be appointed by fair and open process, comprise a majority that are independent of the press, include a sufficient number of people with experience of the industry who may include
former editors and senior or academic journalists, but shall not include any serving editor or member of the House of Commons or Government.
Quotes from the Leveson Executive Summary