1 Warning: Regulator may breach EU laws, say media lawyers Leading media lawyers have told Press Gazette that the central plank of the Government’s proposed statute-backed press regulator may breach EU law.
Three legal experts have told Press Gazette they believe that the threat of exemplary damages would not stand up a challenge under Article 10, right to freedom of expression, enshrined in European law and the Human Rights Act.
3 SLP to move into ‘modern’ offices The South London Press is to move out of its headquarters to a new home in a former charity shop after job cuts made it too big to retain.
"We have moved our business into a more appropriate premises for the 21st century."
4 Independent plans 17 job cuts as NUJ mulls strike Details have emerged of the redundancies at the soon-to-be merged Independent and Independent on Sunday.
“None of this is easy or pleasant. I’ve been on the receiving end of redundancy programmes here and elsewhere in the past, and I wish it was not happening. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the digital revolution sweeping through our industry and the effect it is having on the way we go about our business.”
6 Only ‘totally irresponsible’ publishers will have to pay exemplary damages The key legislative backing for the new system of press regulation proposed by the Government on Monday looks wide open to challenge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
“Journalists aren’t like broadcasters who need a licence to access the airwaves, or lawyers who need a certificate to practice, anyone anywhere in the world can be a journalist and publish their material in the UK.
“The quango that is proposed doesn’t make sense and won’t make a jot of difference to the majority of the press who were perfectly reasonable.”
8 Peter Preston: Victims of press have ‘unrealistic hopes’ for new regulator Former Guardian editor Peter Preston believes victims of press abuse have “totally unrealistic hopes” for what a new regulator can achieve.
"Did you feel for people who really felt themselves to be victims? Well, of course. There are the Watsons from Scotland. But what are they really arguing for?"
9 Mail Online sued for ‘voyeuristic’ Weller kid photos The Mail Online has been accused of featuring “plainly voyeuristic” photographs of singer Paul Weller’s children.
"The fact that some of them were taken without [Weller’s] knowledge, and by use of a long-lens camera, is also evident from the pictures themselves."
10 ‘I just thought it was a good story’: Why The Oldie exposed Savile child abuse Last year six national newspapers turned down the chance to expose allegations that the BBC had failed to report child abuse claims made against Jimmy Savile.
"It’s hard to remember now but Savile was not exactly venerated prior to this exposure. I remember being rather amazed by the way the obituaries of Savile didn’t mention these rumours that we were all aware of – it was totally airbrushed out of his story."
12 Regulation: Political leaders have kow-towed to populism An awful lot of nonsense has been written and spoken since The Guardian blew the phone-hacking scandal wide open in 2011 with its report that Milly Dowler’s voicemail had been intercepted and deleted.
We have had a £4m public inquiry, the closure of the country’s best-selling newspaper, and seen police banging on suburban doors at dawn to arrest journalists who could more sensibly have been asked to attend the local copshop at a given time.
The public money that has been spent on the demonising of the press is mind-boggling.
14 We are at the start of a process – expect spin from both sides Publishers – to include websites containing news-related material, as well as newspapers and magazines – will soon be regulated by a new and more powerful watchdog, to be established within the next six to eight months.
We are at the beginning of the process by which future regulation of publishers will be determined. A great deal of argument and spin over coming months from both the press and those who look for more effective controls will follow this week’s news.
16 Unembedded in Iraq: ten years on This week marked the tenth anniversary of the start of the Iraqi war. To mark the event, former Independent correspondent Justin Huggler is releasing a fictional book based on his experiences covering the war between 2003 and 2004.
"If you were with embedded with an American unit you could cover the story of the soldiers, which was an important story.
"But there was another story, which was the story of Iraq, and what was happening to Iraqis. That was the story of the occupation going wrong really. Because of what was happening at a street level to Iraqi society."
17 Press tips on reporting as Government clamps down on pre-trial prejudice rules The prosecution of The Sun for an alleged breach of pre-trial reporting restrictions is yet another sign of the present Government’s determination to clamp down on pre-trial prejudice by the media.
As reported on Friday by Press Gazette the paper faces a court appearance after being charged with breaching Section 52A of the Crime and Disorder Act.
22 Axegrinder: Sir David Bell turns down chance to hit back at Daily Mail; Eye'm sorry; Trade titles slip through the net; Thieves pose threat to Guardian office
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