Just a quick break between meetings (of which there are currently shed loads). A quick look at the BBC website:
The News of the World story grows seedier by the minute. Not only was Milly Dowler’s phone allegedly hacked, but the parents of the murdered Soham girls have also been visited by police in this respect. And the editor at the time, Rebekkah Brookes, expresses a displeasure lacking the venom with which her paper usually reserves for its targets in public life. Still no resignation – or, as we usually think of it, ‘taking responsibility’?- Footballer Rio Ferdinand is in court against an allegedly unfounded story of an extramarital affair in the Sunday Mirror.
- Two national newspapers are deemed in contempt of court for their reporting on a man who turned out to be completely innocent of the murder of Joanna Yeates. Because he looks a bit odd, he was damned as guilty before being allowed to be proved innocent.
- Johann Hari recently gave new meaning to the word ‘Independent‘ (of the actualite) when he was alleged to have ‘plagiarised’ on an industrial scale.
Is there a common thread here? Something around the need for accountability? Something about sifting good journalism from the bad by refusing to allow these travesties to continue?
Just one day in July.
July 5, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Spot on, Bishop!
I think the common thread may also be the need for society to take some responsibility for turning a blind eye. If we have not all ‘known’ that standards were getting lower and lower in the sense that we had no concrete evidence, most of us nevertheless had a pretty good idea. Should we have given the Press Complaints Commission sharper teeth?
July 5, 2011 at 7:20 pm
It’s quite depressing how bad the press has become. Even worse, however, is people’s willingness to believe what they read. Especially if it reinforces their own prejudices or makes them feel better about themselves.
The PCC are next to useless. Currently Paul Dacre is the head of the PCC and his paper, The Daily Mail, has more complaints against it upheld than any other paper. Unfortunately the retractions and corrections don’t appear soon enough to stop the damage being done and are often hidden away so most people will be unaware of them.
Even worse, the Express and Star have opted out of membership so heaven knows how your meant to complain about them if you need to.
Its worth checking out websites such as Tabloid Watch, Five Chinese Crackers or Angry Mod who regularly print critiques of newspaper stories. But if your anything like me you’ll find yourself getting somewhat angry.
July 6, 2011 at 6:34 am
My thought about the current state of media in general and the print media in particular are unprintable.
I have never been a fan of over regulation, but it seems to me that in this case, the self-regulation by the industry has totally failed. So, where do go from here. I’m suspicious of politicians pressing for legislation, particularly as such regulation might have prevented the whole MP’s expenses being covered, but some sort of regulation seems to be to be unavoidable.
@Laura points out or own complicity in buying and reading this sutff, I can actually claim not guilty. I haven’t brought a Murdoch paper for over 30 years, including the times. But there is strong evidence that the media’s actions in following up and printing this type of story is driven by greed (money) fierce competition in a shrinking market and by the public’s taste for voyeurism and scandal. Who is doing what to who, seems to dominate the thoughts of everyone.
I wonder about the increasing secularization of the nation being one of the drivers for this. We seem to be missing a moral compass in our national psyche. It’s certainly an argument for me for the wider, compulsory education on morality and integrity required in all of our lives, whether through teaching as part of religious education or secular curriculum. However, it is evident to me that without a change of heart and culture by a large percentage of the population we will continue to hear of these scandals as they come to light. We tut, tut, moralise for a while, then move onto the next story. It needs to stop or be stopped now.
July 6, 2011 at 3:58 pm
I do not understand the last point,
“Johann Hari recently gave new meaning to the word ‘Independent‘ (of the actualite) when he was alleged to have ‘plagiarised’ on an industrial scale.”
Surely it the Twittersphere that should be criticised?
July 6, 2011 at 8:31 pm
I’m not sure its the lowest common denominator but rather the highest bottom line. The only compass the press or many politicians have these days is “whats in it for me?”
There is fake crying about public interest and exposing wrongdoing but that is just spin to cover the insatiable demand of the owners for more money. Regulation isn’t the answer, or at least not all of it. What is needs is for there to be a spine of morality in the country and sadly that seems to be missing. Step forward the Church?
July 7, 2011 at 10:05 am
I find it very telling that the public weren’t a bit bothered about the morality of politicians and royalty having their phones hacked… right and wrong – concepts society chooses to forget till it suits them.
Also, let’s not forget all the jumping up and down by TV/radio and the other papers is mostly about rivalry, not upholding the good.
I would love to see the church grab this as an opportunity to connect more and more with the media because when Christians connect, encourage and inspire training journos on their local paper, everyone wins.
July 8, 2011 at 9:46 am
Hola Kevin, I don’t suppose you remember but I once agreed with you that Berlusconi wasn’t such a bad sort compared with other powerful men (or women for that matter) – consider it edited to the extent that the jury is still out! I’ll always agree with you though that ‘actualite’ is an intriguing word for Nick to use in relation to Johann Hari. I see an excellent opportunity for the PCC here – if it’s possible for a nut to crack a sledgehammer, they’ll probably manage it in JH’s case!
July 8, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Caroline, thanks. My apologies, I don’t recall the Berlusconi article, but I will check the archives later.
I think we agree that JH made some human mistakes, but not the unforgivable crime of plagiarism (as alleged by the twits)
K