Debate about the public interest has frequently been marked by attempts to distinguish it from ‘what interests the public’ or the ‘merely interesting’. Thus, for example, in Jameel v Wall Street Journal Europe SPRL ([2007] 1 AC 359) Baroness Hale argued that the public have a right to know only if there is Continue reading
The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Month: February 2012 (Page 3 of 6)
After forty days of module one, the Leveson Inquiry is taking a short break before the second module into the relationship between the press and the police begins on February 27. From victims of press intrusion to newspaper editors, regulators and pressure groups, there has been a lot of food for thought for the industry and the chairman himself. A few key points from the inquiry so far have been rounded up below. Continue reading
Abu Qatada
It is appears that, despite the attention focussed on their conduct by the Leveson Inquiry, certain sections of the press continue to harass individuals who happen, through no fault of their own, to become newsworthy. This time it was the turn of someone who happens to have rented a house to person who turned out to be the wife of Abu Qatada. He has, since a recent judgment of the Court of Human Rights, been the subject of intense tabloid scrutiny. But the fact that Abu Qatada himself is a controversial figure and properly subject to press criticism and attention does not mean that same applies to his landlord (or, indeed, his wife). Continue reading
The Mirror and the Telegraph have reported that lawyers acting for one of the killers of James Bulger are planning to sue News International because their client’s phone was hacked.
Both papers dwell at length on the distress of the murder victim’s family at this reported development – and you can see why they feel that way – but both papers also fail to point out the most alarming implication of the story. Continue reading
Media news has been dominated by industry reaction to the arrests of Sun journalists in Operation Elveden, which Inforrm covered in several posts, including a discussion on ‘The Sun, Press Freedom and the “Freedom of Speech League Table”‘, Brian Cathcart on ‘The Sun, The baby and the bathwater’ and Julian Petley on how ‘the Sun has eroded British justice, fairness and freedom: now it is feeling the effects”. Continue reading
Three libel actions involving Twitter have been in the news around the world this week. The first is in the USA and involves Courtney Love (again). The second is due to be the first twitter libel trial – in England in two weeks’ time. Finally, in Australia there is news of a claim against Twitter Inc itself as the publisher of a defamatory tweet. Continue reading
If nothing else, the phone hacking furore is keeping lawyers on both sides of the Atlantic busy. This time, it is the turn of the New Yorkers, as it was announced this week that the FBI, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), and the Security Exchange Commission (“SEC”) are stepping up their investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption at the New York-based News Corp. Continue reading
On 3 February 2010, The Age published an article about Ms Helen Liu and referred to her as a Chinese Australian businesswoman who had made substantial payments to the former Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon as part of “a campaign to cultivate him as an agent of political and business influence”. Continue reading
Mr Justice Tugendhat today handed down a short judgment in the case of Gold v Cox ([2012] EWHC 272 (QB)) explaining why he made an interim order to prevent the publication of private and confidential information about Jacqueline Gold, the high-profile Chief Executive of Ann Summers. Continue reading
With everything that’s going on at the moment, whether in the Courts, at the Leveson Inquiry, or over at Wapping, it’s easy to forget that there are some 1,200 newspapers in the UK, employing thousands of journalists who ply their trade honestly and lawfully. Continue reading
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