Cameron promises reform of the press
Source: Agencies |
July 9, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PRIME Minister David Cameron promised sweeping new rules for Britain's press yesterday and a full inquiry into failures by police and politicians as his own former spokesman was arrested over a newspaper phone-hacking scandal.
Cameron fended off suggestions at an emergency news conference that he had lacked judgment in hiring Andy Coulson, an ex-editor of Rupert Murdoch's News of the World.
A day after Murdoch moved to stem the scandal by shutting down the best-selling Sunday newspaper, Cameron spread the blame to include his Labour predecessors for a culture dating back decades in which politicians had been in thrall to press barons.
The Conservative leader said that in addition to following up a police investigation with a full public inquiry into the News of the World affair he would also order an independent panel to draft new media regulations.
"This scandal is not just about some journalists on one newspaper," Cameron said. "It's not even just about the press. It's also about the police. And, yes, it's also about how politics works and politicians too."
Murdoch, the 80-year-old Australian-born magnate who has come to dominate British newspapers, shut down the best-selling Sunday title on Wednesday as he battled to prevent the scandal fueling political opposition to his US$22-billion takeover bid for the highly profitable broadcasting group BSkyB.
Cameron's government has already given its informal blessing to the deal, despite concern that it would give Murdoch's US-listed News Corp too much power. But yesterday, the prime minister refrained from any endorsement of the BSkyB bid.
Cameron fended off suggestions at an emergency news conference that he had lacked judgment in hiring Andy Coulson, an ex-editor of Rupert Murdoch's News of the World.
A day after Murdoch moved to stem the scandal by shutting down the best-selling Sunday newspaper, Cameron spread the blame to include his Labour predecessors for a culture dating back decades in which politicians had been in thrall to press barons.
The Conservative leader said that in addition to following up a police investigation with a full public inquiry into the News of the World affair he would also order an independent panel to draft new media regulations.
"This scandal is not just about some journalists on one newspaper," Cameron said. "It's not even just about the press. It's also about the police. And, yes, it's also about how politics works and politicians too."
Murdoch, the 80-year-old Australian-born magnate who has come to dominate British newspapers, shut down the best-selling Sunday title on Wednesday as he battled to prevent the scandal fueling political opposition to his US$22-billion takeover bid for the highly profitable broadcasting group BSkyB.
Cameron's government has already given its informal blessing to the deal, despite concern that it would give Murdoch's US-listed News Corp too much power. But yesterday, the prime minister refrained from any endorsement of the BSkyB bid.
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