Independent Press Standards Organisation Chairman Sir Alan Moses poked fun at rival press regulator Impress yesterday speaking at the London Press Club Awards lunch.
Announcing a new category of award, for regulator of the year, he said: "There were two nominees and I am proud to announce a highly commended for the regulator who has come second…that is…wait for the crass pause, before the announcement…
"Highly commended IPSO and the winner is…Impress…
"What regulator could hope to rise to the eminence of a regulator of the Ferret and the Bit of Stone….where few if any complain and where those worthy blogs do what you all ought to learn to do…behave yourselves.
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"What fun it must be a theoretical regulator. The triumph of theory over practice needs does it not our admiration."
Most UK newspaper and magazine publishers have signed up to IPSO, which is funded by the press and refuses to submit itself for official recognition under the Royal Charter process.
Impress is in the process is of getting official recognition under the Royal Charter process, which will insulate its members from the threat of exemplary damages and cost-shifting in libel and privacy cases.
Impress so far has 12 confirmed members:
- A Little Bit of Stone (Staffordshire)
- Caerphilly Observer (Wales)
- Port Talbot Magnet (Wales)
- Southport Reporter (Merseyside)
- The Lincolnite (Lincolnshire)
- Your Harlow (Essex)
- Your Thurrock (Essex) have signed up.
- New Internationalist, an independent, investigative, non-profit media co-operative
- Northern Ireland-based View Digital, which covers the community and voluntary sector
- Positive News
- Byline
- The Ferret
The London Press Club Awards winners were:
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Daily Newspaper of the Year: The Daily Mail
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Weekend Newspaper of the Year: The Times, Saturday edition
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Print Journalist of the Year: Simon Walters, Mail on Sunday
- Business Journalist of the Year: Mark Kleinman, Sky News
- Digital Journalist of the Year: Heidi Blake, Buzzfeed.com
- Broadcast Journalist of the Year: Julie Etchingham, ITV News:
- Scoop of the Year: Miles Goslett, freelance for "The trouble with the Kids Company" in The Spectator
- Edgar Wallace Trophy, for writing and reporting of the highest quality: David Cohen, Evening Standard.
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