Press regulation: seven global groups urge Queen not to sign 'toxic' charter
24 Oct 2013:
Letter claims royal charter would have a chilling effect on UK
journalism and could lead to muzzling of press in other countries. By Jason Deans
Seven international newspaper industry trade bodies and media
freedom organisations have written to the Queen urging her not to sign a
"toxic" royal charter to establish a new UK press regulator.
The letter brands the royal charter to underpin a replacement for the Press Complaints Commission, backed by the three main political parties, as camouflage for a "set of repressive statutory controls" being imposed on the industry against its will.
The seven signatories, including the World Association of Newspapers & News Publishers and FIPP, the worldwide magazine media association, said the royal charter backed by politicians would have a "chilling impact" on UK journalism and be used by foreign governments as an excuse to "muzzle the press" in their own countries.
The final draft of the politicians' royal charter is due to go before the privy council next week and will then be signed by the Queen, the last stage in the legislative process.
Earlier this month the press industry's rival proposal for a PCC replacement underpinned by a royal charter was rejected by eight MPs on a privy council sub-committee. However, the industry is moving ahead with plans to launch its Independent Press Standards Organisation and is understood to be considering a legal challenge to the politicians' charter.
"We urge you, Ma'am, as the final guarantor of freedom of expression across the UK and your Commonwealth, not to sign this charter," the letter stated.
"No one should be in any doubt that the proposed royal charter which politicians are forcing Your Majesty to sign is, despite the camouflage, in reality a set of repressive statutory controls being imposed on the press against its will.
"By laying down rules about how that regulator must work and how the ethical codes that bind the press should be written this toxic charter brings parliament for the first time ever to the heart of the newsroom."
The signatories added: "[The royal charter] will have a chilling impact on journalism throughout the United Kingdom … But far more important to us is the impact of your actions across the globe.
"The actions of Britain's parliament will be used as an excuse by those who want to muzzle the press in their own country and stifle the free flow of information – and there are many governments who would love to do so."
The letter was also signed by the Commonwealth Press Union Media Trust, Inter American Press Association, International Association of Broadcasting, International Press Institute and World Press Freedom Committee.
• Copy http://www.theguardian.com
Letter claims royal charter would have a chilling effect on UK journalism and could lead to muzzling of press in other countries
Royal plea … Seven
international newspaper bodies have urged the Queen not to sign the
royal charter to establish a new UK press regulator. Photograph:
DT/Barcroft Media
The letter brands the royal charter to underpin a replacement for the Press Complaints Commission, backed by the three main political parties, as camouflage for a "set of repressive statutory controls" being imposed on the industry against its will.
The seven signatories, including the World Association of Newspapers & News Publishers and FIPP, the worldwide magazine media association, said the royal charter backed by politicians would have a "chilling impact" on UK journalism and be used by foreign governments as an excuse to "muzzle the press" in their own countries.
The final draft of the politicians' royal charter is due to go before the privy council next week and will then be signed by the Queen, the last stage in the legislative process.
Earlier this month the press industry's rival proposal for a PCC replacement underpinned by a royal charter was rejected by eight MPs on a privy council sub-committee. However, the industry is moving ahead with plans to launch its Independent Press Standards Organisation and is understood to be considering a legal challenge to the politicians' charter.
"We urge you, Ma'am, as the final guarantor of freedom of expression across the UK and your Commonwealth, not to sign this charter," the letter stated.
"No one should be in any doubt that the proposed royal charter which politicians are forcing Your Majesty to sign is, despite the camouflage, in reality a set of repressive statutory controls being imposed on the press against its will.
"By laying down rules about how that regulator must work and how the ethical codes that bind the press should be written this toxic charter brings parliament for the first time ever to the heart of the newsroom."
The signatories added: "[The royal charter] will have a chilling impact on journalism throughout the United Kingdom … But far more important to us is the impact of your actions across the globe.
"The actions of Britain's parliament will be used as an excuse by those who want to muzzle the press in their own country and stifle the free flow of information – and there are many governments who would love to do so."
The letter was also signed by the Commonwealth Press Union Media Trust, Inter American Press Association, International Association of Broadcasting, International Press Institute and World Press Freedom Committee.
Hacked Off, the group that campaigns for stricter press regulation
and backs the politicians' royal charter proposal, accused the groups
that signed the letter of falling for the "hysterical scaremongering of a
small group of self-interested editors and proprietors".
"Everything
about the letter from the seven organisations suggests that either it
was dictated for them by the bosses of the Daily Mail, the Daily
Telegraph and the Murdoch press, or that their knowledge of what is
happening in Britain is informed exclusively by reading those papers,
whose coverage has been biased to the point of parody," said Brian
Cathcart, Hacked Off executive director.• Copy http://www.theguardian.com
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