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'Small blogs to be exempt' under press regulation plans | 'Small blogs to be exempt' under press regulation plans |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Blogs with a turnover of less than £2m and those with fewer than 10 employees will not be subject to new press regulation, the government says. | Blogs with a turnover of less than £2m and those with fewer than 10 employees will not be subject to new press regulation, the government says. |
The amendments - to go before MPs on Monday - also exempt small firms for whom news is not their core business. | The amendments - to go before MPs on Monday - also exempt small firms for whom news is not their core business. |
A press watchdog is to be established in England and Wales by royal charter and backed by legislation following the Leveson inquiry into press ethics. | A press watchdog is to be established in England and Wales by royal charter and backed by legislation following the Leveson inquiry into press ethics. |
The government said the amendments "clarify the position". | The government said the amendments "clarify the position". |
The new regulations are currently making their way through Parliament. | The new regulations are currently making their way through Parliament. |
Before the Easter recess, ministers tabled a holding amendment to exclude "small-scale" bloggers from the new system. | Before the Easter recess, ministers tabled a holding amendment to exclude "small-scale" bloggers from the new system. |
Party leaders have agreed on a new independent regulator which would have the power to demand up-front apologies from UK publishers and impose fines of up to £1m. | Party leaders have agreed on a new independent regulator which would have the power to demand up-front apologies from UK publishers and impose fines of up to £1m. |
'Simple and clear' | 'Simple and clear' |
Some bloggers had raised concerns they could also be fined under rules intended to apply to larger organisations. | Some bloggers had raised concerns they could also be fined under rules intended to apply to larger organisations. |
But in a statement, a spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: "We were clear in our original proposals that small-scale blogs would not be covered by the incentives to join a press self-regulator. | But in a statement, a spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: "We were clear in our original proposals that small-scale blogs would not be covered by the incentives to join a press self-regulator. |
"The amendments we have tabled clarify the position and set out a simple and clear exemption for all small-scale blogs. | "The amendments we have tabled clarify the position and set out a simple and clear exemption for all small-scale blogs. |
"The Royal Charter proposals will create a tough system of independent self-regulation of the press while protecting freedom of speech." | "The Royal Charter proposals will create a tough system of independent self-regulation of the press while protecting freedom of speech." |
The amendments have been welcomed by bloggers, including Paul Staines, founder of the Guido Fawkes Blog.. | |
He called it a "sensible decision". | |
"We would not in any event have gone along with a regime that attempted to put an unbearable regulatory burden on a blog like ours," he added. |
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