Category Archives: media ethics

The BBC and ‘tragedies of the fourth estate’

There’s an excellent piece by Paul Lashmar, investigative journalist and lecturer at Brunel University, on openDemocracy this week, examining the role of – and implications for – investigative journalism in the recent ‘BBC debacle’. I was particularly interested in the … Continue reading

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Mark Thompson, the legal letter, and the Savile investigation

Stewart Purvis, professor of television journalism at City University London (formerly of ITN and Ofcom) has been carefully tracking the detail around ex-BBC director-general Mark Thompson’s legal interaction with the Sunday Times, following the newspaper’s questions about the BBC’s handling … Continue reading

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Law and Media Round Up – 8 October 2012

Originally posted on Inforrm's Blog:
We are now a week into the new legal term, and while it’s still party conference season for MPs, the Defamation Bill will receive its second reading in the House of Lords on Monday…

Posted in defamation, journalism, leveson inquiry, media ethics, media law, media law mop-up, media law resources, phone hacking | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Gideon Benaim: Payments for private information and the regulation of journalism

Gideon Benaim, partner at Michael Simkins LLP (formerly of Schillings), has responded to my question about the potential regulation of payments for private information, in a blog post for Inforrm. He argues that “unless there is a legitimate public interest … Continue reading

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Law and Media Round Up – 24 September 2012

Originally posted on Inforrm's Blog:
The theme of privacy continued to dominate media law discussion last week, as a French court granted an injunction prohibiting further publication of the Duchess of Cambridge photographs in France. Press Gazette reported that…

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Leveson’s Legacy: Beyond dusty tomes and 21st century buzzwords

This post first appeared on the Center for Global Communication Studies blog, at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania.  “The one thing I am determined not to do is to produce a document which simply sits on the … Continue reading

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How should privacy injunctions be reported?

The recommended procedure and law around privacy injunctions “isn’t quite fit for purpose” according to Gideon Benaim, a partner at Michael Simkins LLP (formerly of Schillings), writing in the Guardian today. Comments seem to be closed on the piece so … Continue reading

Posted in comment, freedom of expression, human rights, journalism, leveson inquiry, media ethics, media law, press freedom, privacy, public interest, super injunctions | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Damian Carney: Media Accountability after the Phone Hacking Inquiry

Dr Damian Carney proposes the setting up of a new regulatory body for the press providing strong remedies for complainants, better internal controls on ethics and complaints – and enough independence from government and industry to appease the general public … Continue reading

Posted in academic research, comment, defamation, guest post, journalism, leveson inquiry, media ethics, media law, phone hacking | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Law and Media Mid-Summer Round Up – 29 August 2012

Originally posted on Inforrm's Blog:
Parliamentarians are still in recess, Lord Justice Leveson has finished taking evidence for Part 1 of his Inquiry, the Michaelmas legal term has not yet begun, but there have been more than enough media…

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Sketches from Leveson

Drawing in the courtroom is prohibited under s41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925, so broadcasters and newspapers use pastel sketches by talented and specialist artists who draw from memory outside the courtroom. This restriction does not apply to hearings in the Supreme … Continue reading

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