I wondered who would be the first of the local political bloggers to show outrage at the Sun for publishing photos of Prince Harry naked playing strip billiards and the award goes to Lib Dem Neil Monnery.
Neil has stated his reasons why it was wrong for the Sun to publish the photos and I profoundly disagree, but not for the reasons that Neil has stated. I do not really care if Prince Harry had a harem of women in his hotel as part of his Vegas bender or really particularly want to see pictures of Prince Harry's buttocks, but the real issue is about the cornerstone of a free press within our our democracy.
I can almost guarantee that pre Leverson, most, if not all, of the national newspapers would have published the photos alongside the story. Whilst in the short term the remainder of the press will have their cheap shots the Sun but in the long term I believe they have done them a favour.
The absurdity of the whole situation is that the Prince Harry photos could be viewed on line at the click of a button and yet the British press were trying to be gagged - even when all the major international newspapers were publishing them. Whether or not the decision to publish them is in the public interest will ultimately be down to the the Sun's readership but to protect the principle of a free press is certainly in the national interest.
What the Sun has now proved is what most people thought - that the press now play second fiddle to the internet. This is now the public beginning of the end for the dead tree press.
4 comments:
Yes we have a free press. They have a right to publish whatever they like. However they also have to decide whether they want to invade someone's privacy. Just because other people are doing it then it doesn't mean that it is right.
Were you not ever told by your parents/teachers that just because John was pulling a girl's pony tail that doesn't mean that you should follow suit?
The photos were out there. The Sun made a decision based solely on money and not because they felt the photos needed to be out there to have a proper debate.
Prince Harry's privacy was invaded and The Sun decided that it was fine. I am proud that everyone else held firm and showed some ethics and morals.
A free press is good. A free press that invades privacy is bad. Just because others had invaded his privacy doesn't mean that The Sun had a right to pile in.
What The Sun have done here is basically said that privacy doesn't matter. They are more than happy to run a story even if it breeches someone's privacy - even if the story is not in the public interest. Now that is a dangerous precedent to set...
Neil
Thanks for your comments. Do you not except that the only reason why other national newspapers didn't publish those photos was because of the Leverson enquiry? As I would not put the likes of the Mirror and the Mail as a beacon of ethics and morals.
Are you seriously suggesting that all the other major international newspapers which published the photos are free of ethics and morals?
I just think it is absurd that you could find something at the click of a button and that is OK but not in print journalism in the UK.
I'm not saying that other newspapers are great but they also chose not to invade someone's privacy for the sake of the almighty dollar.
I do not except that Leveson is the only reason why the others have sat on this. Remember no TV station did it either and they aren't under the Leveson cloud. I know showing it on TV would've been troublesome but they could've done. Also once The Sun bolted anyone could've followed suit and they chose not to.
Now whether they've chosen to do this because they know the Royal Family will now treat The Sun far worse than other media outlets is a legitimate question. Clarence House will basically blackball The Sun now and heck that is their right.
If someone online printed the name of a woman who is raped and it is freely available on the net then should newspapers then be free to share the name? I'm positive that you don't and that kills your final sentence.
Privacy is a very important issue and just because other media outlets choose to ignore it then it doesn't mean that you should.
I am no Sun reader - I prefer newspapers that actually carry news. However, I side with Cllr Cox, but not necessarily for the reasons he has stated!
Firstly, I do want an ungagged press. I also want a responsible press as well. However, the pampered Prince owes his luxurious lifestyle to the largesse of British tax-payers, and as such there is very much a public interest in this story.
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