Editors lament 'chilling' privacy laws
Tuesday, 5 May 2009 5:35 PM
By Alex Stevenson
Newspaper editors continued to lament what they view as 'chilling' erosions of press freedom in parliament today.
The Commons' culture, media and sport committee heard from Private Eye editor Ian Hislop, Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger and News of the World editor Colin Myler.
The latter's comments were restricted by his tabloid's impending libel case with Max Mosley, but he said he spends as much time talking to lawyers as he does journalists at present.
"Some people may sneer and say we're scurrilous. but I make no apology for publishing that story," Mr Myler said.
He said he believed that recent court judgments had "dangerously tipped the balance away from press freedom".
Other witnesses expressed their own concerns about the current system.
Mr Hislop, who once described himself as the "most sued man in Britain", said that the frequency of litigation he faces has diminished in recent years.
"I would say I am less sued now for libel. Obviously there are quite a few around, but not so many as in those ridiculous days," he said, before adding: "You get fewer libels, but each one is much, much more dangerous."
All agreed the costs borne by newspapers in the biggest cases have had a substantial 'chilling effect', preventing many stories from being published.
Mr Rusbridger of the Guardian said: "It is becoming staggeringly expensive to do the kind of journalism that people in this room believe in."
He added: "Work it out for yourselves. There are only so many media organisations that will be able to do this kind of journalism in the future."
Mr Hislop warned that privacy is the "new libel" and waved a letter from law firm Schillings warning against invasion of privacy in one case to demonstrate his case.
"Straightaway, as soon as the celebrities make a bridgehead, the rich and powerful come in behind," he stressed.
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