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

jtownend — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 08:59:41 +0000

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 then private information should only be disclosed with the consent of everyone involved“:

This is, I think, something which a new regulatory code should spell out. Payment for stories should only be made when there is no alternative and the public interest requires it. Is this really an unfair proposal? Of course not, and it is in fact the law, despite it being largely ignored by the tabloids.

Full post at this link…

He previously responded to questions about the reporting/tracking of privacy injunctions here.

Media law and ethics » kiss n tell

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