Privacy and Self-regulation of the Press

It might seem that in the face of government secrecy, journalists must be allowed the fullest investigative powers. But how free should the press be? During the 1980s there was growing popular disgust at the way in which some newspapers, most notably the Sun, attempted to investigate the private lives of well-known people. Many had their careers ruined or damaged when their sexual activities were made public. The prime targets have been, of course, members of the Royal Family who found it increasingly difficult to escape from the voyeurism of the popular press. The dramatic death of Princess Diana while being chased by paparazzi is unlikely to bring press intrusion to an end. Admittedly Diana was a unique phenomenon. As she said of herself, 'You see yourself as a good product that sits on a shelf and sells well, and people make a lot of money out of you.' Only a few days before their death, the blurred pictures of Diana supposedly embracing her friend Dodi al Fayed, sold an extra 1 75,000 copies of the Sun. Little wonder the editor of the Sun said at the time: ‘There is an absolute fascination with her that never wanes from our readers' point of view.’ It was not only newspapers. Magazines with a picture of Diana on the front could see their circulation leap by as much as 30 or 40 per cent. Diana may have been unique, but other public figures will also fascinate the public. In the end the voyeuristic appetite of the public is inevitable component in the struggle between the tabloids for a greater share of the market.

Diana was a highly public figure who often courted the press. Many people, however, feel that the press has no right to publicize personal when they have no relevance to any public issue, and that the victims of inaccurate reporting are entitled to a right of reply. As a result of public anger at the end of the 1980s, most newspapers appointed an ombudsman to deal with individual complaints. As the correspondent noted, however, ‘Most of the ombudsmen are from the inside of papers who have appointed them. Not all are experienced in journalism. Almost the only thing they have in common is that they are all men’.

Beyond each newspaper is a final court of appeal for outraged members of the public. This is The Press Complaints Commission established at the beginning of l991. The Commission replaced a previous body, The Press Council, which progressively lost its authority since its own establishment in 1953. If the new Commission cannot convince the public that press self-regulation can be made to work, the government may bring in legislation to control the worst excesses of the press.

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