Mar 04 2025 11 mins 1
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The last Government's scrapping of plans for independent regulation of the press has increased the risk to the public from press intrusion and harm, according to a new report.
Before Parliament dissolved for the General Election last May, MPs - backed by Labour - rushed through a Media Bill, which abolished a key plank of the Leveson Inquiry's recommendations on reforming the media.
The rule, which would have compelled newspaper publishers to join an independent form of press regulation or face large costs when sued, was in the statute book but never implemented. But newspaper bosses put pressure on the Government to abolish it altogether.
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Labour has said it has no plans to reintroduce the measure, while also ruling out launching the second, never-initiated, plank of the Leveson Inquiry (dubbed Leveson II), into the press' relationship with the police.
The Press Recognition Panel (PRP), an independent body which oversees the only official independent press regulator Impress (as opposed to the larger self-regulator Ipso), has just published its ninth annual report on the effectiveness of the press regulation system set up in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry into misconduct in the press.
It currently does not compel publishers to join the state-backed regulator on misconduct - but the so-called Section 40 axed last year would have enabled that to happen.
The report argues that while recent high-profile legal cases brought by celebrities such as Hugh Grant and Prince Harry have led to settlements and substantial payouts, the vast majority of victims of press abuse cannot afford to pursue justice and redress in the face of powerful and influential media owners. A system of independent - but enforceable - regulation would allow low-cost redress for those victims, according to the PRP.
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Examples of press intrusion and harm highlighted in the report include CCTV footage of a fatal hit and run being posted on a news publisher's website for "clickbait", journalists informing siblings on the doorstep of the death of their brother in a terrorist attack, and news outlets falsely accusing people of murder.
"No other industry, including broadcast journalism, enjoys the privileges and protections that 'news publishers' enjoy in law," the authors argue, adding: "However, these protections and privileges are not balanced by responsibility or accountability."
News publishers are not required to participate in independent press self-regulation, which has resulted in a fractured and incoherent system.
Over 130 news publishers have joined Impress, the only press self-regulatory body that has demonstrated that it meets the criteria recommended by the Leveson Inquiry for independence, financial security, and effective complaints handling.
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But all the major national titles have instead opted to set up their own complaints processes or join the Independent Press Standar...
To support its work, subscribe to the monthly Byline Times print edition, packed with exclusive investigations, news, and analysis.
Help us build the better media Britain deserves
The last Government's scrapping of plans for independent regulation of the press has increased the risk to the public from press intrusion and harm, according to a new report.
Before Parliament dissolved for the General Election last May, MPs - backed by Labour - rushed through a Media Bill, which abolished a key plank of the Leveson Inquiry's recommendations on reforming the media.
The rule, which would have compelled newspaper publishers to join an independent form of press regulation or face large costs when sued, was in the statute book but never implemented. But newspaper bosses put pressure on the Government to abolish it altogether.
M&S Hit by Customer Boycott Over GB News Adverts After Presenter Labels LGBTQ+ People 'Paedos'
Thousands of customers are threatening to stop using the supposedly LGBTQ+ inclusive retail giant
Josiah Mortimer
Labour has said it has no plans to reintroduce the measure, while also ruling out launching the second, never-initiated, plank of the Leveson Inquiry (dubbed Leveson II), into the press' relationship with the police.
The Press Recognition Panel (PRP), an independent body which oversees the only official independent press regulator Impress (as opposed to the larger self-regulator Ipso), has just published its ninth annual report on the effectiveness of the press regulation system set up in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry into misconduct in the press.
It currently does not compel publishers to join the state-backed regulator on misconduct - but the so-called Section 40 axed last year would have enabled that to happen.
The report argues that while recent high-profile legal cases brought by celebrities such as Hugh Grant and Prince Harry have led to settlements and substantial payouts, the vast majority of victims of press abuse cannot afford to pursue justice and redress in the face of powerful and influential media owners. A system of independent - but enforceable - regulation would allow low-cost redress for those victims, according to the PRP.
From Murdoch to Musk: Hacking the State
While the media mogul spent more than half a century building up back-door political influence, the social media broligarch stormed into the US Government in just two years. Peter Jukes explores how the use of power through media has evolved
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Examples of press intrusion and harm highlighted in the report include CCTV footage of a fatal hit and run being posted on a news publisher's website for "clickbait", journalists informing siblings on the doorstep of the death of their brother in a terrorist attack, and news outlets falsely accusing people of murder.
"No other industry, including broadcast journalism, enjoys the privileges and protections that 'news publishers' enjoy in law," the authors argue, adding: "However, these protections and privileges are not balanced by responsibility or accountability."
News publishers are not required to participate in independent press self-regulation, which has resulted in a fractured and incoherent system.
Over 130 news publishers have joined Impress, the only press self-regulatory body that has demonstrated that it meets the criteria recommended by the Leveson Inquiry for independence, financial security, and effective complaints handling.
UK Riots: How the Right-Wing Press Fought to Stop Laws to Combat Online Disinformation
The story of how the Conservatives exempted their media supporters from laws against spreading dangerously false information online
Julian Petley
But all the major national titles have instead opted to set up their own complaints processes or join the Independent Press Standar...
