PRESS PRESSURE

After it emerged that newspapers, notably the News of the World, had hacked into various people's mobile phones, the U.K. Government set up an inquiry under a senior judge, Lord Justice Leveson, to look at the role of the press, its links to politicians and the police, and how it should be regulated in the future. The police also got into gear, investigating the (illegal) hacking and payments made by newspapers to individual police officers who agreed to give them prior information about crimes. The furore and general public disgust led to the News of the World's being closed by its owner, Rupert Murdoch. A number of former executives and editors at the paper have since been arrested and are facing criminal charges.

The Leveson report was damning. Its main conclusion was tougher self-regulation, backed by legislation. The last probably won't happen, and not just because Prime Minister David Cameron is not in favour; one of the judge's technical advisers, the head of Liberty, has pointed out that statutory regulation may breach the Human Rights Act's commitment to protect free speech. But whatever does emerge will be a good deal tougher than what has been in place beforehand.

However, nothing will really change unless journalists use a bit more common sense. The public interest is not whatever interests the public, and although journalists should be in the business of investigating the shenanigans of the rich and powerful, too many reams of print are spent on things that don't remotely meet that test.

Against that background, the recent experience of a couple of Australian radio journalists might act as a bit of a wake-up call. The Duchess of Cambridge, wife of the British heir-to-the-throne-but-one, is apparently pregnant, and had to be admitted to hospital with severe morning sickness. The journalists hit on the idea of ringing the hospital, pretending to be the Queen, and getting information about the pregnancy. This they managed to do. However, two days later, the night-shift nurse who fell for the ruse is dead, having probably committed suicide.

What started out as a prank has backfired in a particularly painful way. The Aussies are naturally distraught. But I couldn't help thinking "why didn't they think?". When you're continually in the limelight, you tend to forget how uncomfortable it makes the vast majority of us. A free press is a good thing; a thoughtful free press is even better.

Walter Blotscher