Media secretary Tessa Jowell (above) defended press freedom and the
role of the Press Complaints Commission when she spoke at the
conference, organised by the Quarriers charity and MediaWise in Bath.
She
said: “I will always defend the freedom of the press. It is an absolute
principle we must defend.” She stressed the way that reporting was
shaped by the Code of Practice.
Jowell added: “The biggest
challenge is not how we protect children from irresponsible journalism
– we have the means to do that [via the PCC] – but from viewing
unsuitable content on television, the internet, DVDs and in computer
games.”
She noted that the hit comedy Little Britain, according
to a new survey, was being watched by 280,000 children despite being
shown after the 9pm watershed.
The minister said it was important
to promote a more “media literate” population, so parents could have
greater control over what their children watched and read.
“If press freedoms are curtailed for want of a more effective way to protect our children, then we will all lose,” she said.
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