United Kingdom

[GB] Government's Paper on Privacy and Media Intrusion Published

IRIS 1995-8:1/32

David Goldberg

deeJgee Research/Consultancy

The UK Government has responded to the National Heritage Select Committee's Report on Privacy and Media Intrusion . The central policy recommendation is that the Government continues to believe that press self-regulation is the appropriate method of regulating relations between the media and the public. However, the Government recommends improvements in the effectiveness and independence of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) in the newspaper industry's Code of Practice. Specific recommendations include:

- the PCC should pay compensation from a fund set up by the industry to those it judges have had their privacy abused;

- the Code of Practice should contain a clearer definition of privacy;

- the duty on journalists to leave property after being asked to do so, should be more specifically stated;

- Article 10 - on intrusion in to shock or grief - should be toughened up;

- a 'hot line' between the Chairman of the PCC and newspaper editors should be set up to warn editors of possible abuses of the Code; and

- the existence of the PCC should be better publicised.