The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
No sooner had the ballots closed than Boris Johnson’s new government was advancing and accelerating its attack on public service broadcasting, threatening to decriminalise nonpayment of the licence fee, boycott the BBC’s flagship Today programme and review the remit of Channel 4. Continue reading
The 2019 UK election campaign has been particularly dispiriting for anyone who cares about the truth. Even established parties have proven they are not above using tricks to manipulate the news. Meanwhile, politicians are quick to shout “fake news” about anything they disagree with, even accurate stories. Continue reading
In recent elections, the legal framework for regulating campaigns has come under considerable strain. The rules were built around a system in which national campaign communications were mainly carried through the broadcast and print media. The last comprehensive reform of election finance law was enacted in 2000. The framework left a number of old problems unresolved, such as the role of big donors. Continue reading
Which is the more professional broadcaster when it comes to investigative reporting — the BBC or Al Jazeera? That’s the intriguing question that’s going to be answered by Ofcom’s forthcoming ruling on the BBC Panorama programme Is Labour Anti-Semitic? In January 2017. Continue reading
The BBC transmitted an edition of Panorama on 10 July called ‘Is Labour Anti-Semitic?’, presented by John Ware. It contained allegations that senior Labour figures close to Jeremy Corbyn had interfered with the internal investigations process and that the Party was insufficiently committed to tackling anti-semitism within its own ranks. Continue reading
ITV‘s decision to permanently suspend the production of The Jeremy Kyle Show is making headlines. However, this should not come as a surprise given recent controversies surrounding duty of care issues in reality television programmes. Ofcom and MPs must tread very carefully in proposing new duty of care obligations on broadcasters to look after adult contributors. Continue reading
Much discussion has inevitably followed in the wake of the Cliff Richard judgment, often taking polarising viewpoints. Privacy advocates hailed the judgment as a further watershed for individuals’ privacy rights whereas many in the press decried it as serious limitation on the ability to report on suspected criminality. Continue reading
The BBC has announced that it will not seek permission to appeal against the judgment of Mann J awarding Sir Cliff Richard privacy damages of £210,000 ([2018] EWHC 1837 (Ch)). Continue reading
This critique follows on from my previous post, in which I responded to Paul Wragg’s criticism of the manner in which the judge in Richard v BBC dealt with the first stage of the claim – whether Richard had a “reasonable expectation of privacy” in respect of the information broadcast about him. Continue reading
In a recent post on Inforrm, my good friend Dr Paul Wragg sets out a detailed argument critiquing the High Court’s recent decision in Cliff Richard’s successful privacy claim against the BBC (Richard v BBC). Wragg takes the view that the reasoning of Mann J in the case is deficient in a number of respects, and that his disposal of the case is unsatisfactory. Continue reading
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