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Press regulation: three newspaper groups launch rival royal charter Press regulation: newspaper industry launches rival royal charter
(35 minutes later)
Three of the country's largest newspaper groups, including the owners of the Daily Mail and the Sun, have rejected David Cameron's plans for press regulation and launched a bid to set up their own royal charter-backed body. The newspaper industry, led by three of the country's largest press groups, including the owners of the Daily Mail and the Sun, has rejected David Cameron's plans for press regulation and launched a bid to set up its own royal charter-backed body.
Sun publisher News International, Telegraph Media Group and Associated Newspapers – which owns the Daily Mail – are going to the privy council to put forward a plan for a new press regulator backed by royal charter, but without the government proposal that it could only be dissolved with a two thirds majority vote of both houses of parliament. Sun publisher News International, Telegraph Media Group and Associated Newspapers – which owns the Daily Mail – have drawn up a draft alternative royal charter.
With the backing of the Newspaper Society, which also represents Trinity Mirror and Northern & Shell, owner of the Express, they will put the proposal to the privy council later on Thursday.
"It is a simple idea. The whole purpose of it is to remove the logjam," said a source."It is a simple idea. The whole purpose of it is to remove the logjam," said a source.
Peter Wright, the Associated Newspapers executive asked with dealing with Leveson negotiations, told BBC Radio 4's World at One he had spoken to the editors of the Guardian and the Financial Times and they both thought it was "a good idea to get the ball rolling" but conceded that no editor "has signed up on the specifics". The Newspaper Society, which represents national titles, said Trinity Mirror and Northern & Shell, owner of the Express, were backing the plan.
Media commentator Steve Hewlett said the "other side will smell a rat" over the appointments process. "This will be portrayed no doubt as marking your own homework," he said. The Financial Times and the Guardian, which had also opposed the government plans but had not endorsed a boycott, are considering the proposals.
All three publishers have threatened to boycott the government's plans following an early morning deal between the three main parties and press group Hacked Off on 18 March, arguing a royal charter backed by statute would end 300 years of press freedom. Peter Wright, the Associated Newspapers executive tasked with dealing with Leveson negotiations, told BBC Radio 4's World at One he had spoken to the editors of the Guardian and the Financial Times and they both thought it was "a good idea to get the ball rolling" but conceded that no editor "has signed up on the specifics".
The Guardian also has reservations about the government's plans for the royal charter, with editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger urging Cameron to delay it for a year to give the industry a chance to set up a regulator based on Westminster plans and prove it could get its house in order without a charter. Les Hinton, the former chief executive of News International, tweeted: "No small thing to go against will of parliament. Shows depth of feeling among newspaper groups which are usually bitter rivals."
After a month of scrutiny, the three newspaper groups received legal advice that believe they have the right to apply for their own royal charter just like any other profession. Many have done so in the past, including accountants and surveyors. Significantly, the newspapers' royal charter does not include the government proposal, championed by Cameron's policy tsar Oliver Letwin, that the charter could only be dissolved with a two-thirds majority vote of both houses of parliament.
Under their proposals the government's right to dissolve the royal charter in the case of another systemic breach of self regulation such as phone hacking would be replaced by a "triple lock" system centring on the industry. Under its proposals the government's right to dissolve the royal charter in the case of another systemic breach of self-regulation such as phone hacking would be replaced by a "triple lock" system centring on the industry.
The charter could only be amended or withdrawn with the unanimous permission of the independent recognition panel the government is planning to set up to audit the new press regulator's performance every three years.The charter could only be amended or withdrawn with the unanimous permission of the independent recognition panel the government is planning to set up to audit the new press regulator's performance every three years.
In addition it would also need the unanimous permission of the board of the new regulator and finally the unanimous agreement of four industry bodies: the Newspaper Society, the Newspaper Publishers Association, the Periodical Publishers' Association and the Scottish Newspaper Society. "This is a very high bar," said a source from one of the newspaper groups.In addition it would also need the unanimous permission of the board of the new regulator and finally the unanimous agreement of four industry bodies: the Newspaper Society, the Newspaper Publishers Association, the Periodical Publishers' Association and the Scottish Newspaper Society. "This is a very high bar," said a source from one of the newspaper groups.
Publishers have threatened to boycott the government's plans following an early morning deal between the three main parties and press group Hacked Off on 18 March, arguing a royal charter backed by statute would end 300 years of press freedom.
The Guardian has reservations about the government's plans for the royal charter, with editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger urging Cameron to delay it for a year to give the industry a chance to set up a regulator based on Westminster plans and prove it could get its house in order without a charter.
After a month of scrutiny, the newspaper industry received legal advice suggesting it has the right to apply for its own royal charter just like any other profession. Many professions have done so in the past, including accountants and surveyors.
The independence of the new regulatory authority however could be questioned by Hacked Off, the group lobbying for stricter press regulation, and the Labour party, which fought hard to ensure that newspapers would not have a veto of appointments to the board of the new regulator.The independence of the new regulatory authority however could be questioned by Hacked Off, the group lobbying for stricter press regulation, and the Labour party, which fought hard to ensure that newspapers would not have a veto of appointments to the board of the new regulator.
Under the NI/Telegraph/Associated plan, this veto, or what they prefer to call a "press guarantee", would operate.Under the NI/Telegraph/Associated plan, this veto, or what they prefer to call a "press guarantee", would operate.
This will be seen as a major weakness in the bid to launch a rival press regulator as this will lead to accusations that News International and Associated Newspapers still want to control the board. Their influence over appointments at the discredited Press Complaints Commission was seen as the Achilles' heel of the existing regulatory body, which led to poor decisions being made and eventually to its implosion after 21 years as a result of its failure to get to grips with the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.This will be seen as a major weakness in the bid to launch a rival press regulator as this will lead to accusations that News International and Associated Newspapers still want to control the board. Their influence over appointments at the discredited Press Complaints Commission was seen as the Achilles' heel of the existing regulatory body, which led to poor decisions being made and eventually to its implosion after 21 years as a result of its failure to get to grips with the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.
Media commentator Steve Hewlett said the "other side will smell a rat" over the appointments process. "This will be portrayed no doubt as marking your own homework," he said. '
Sources said the veto or guarantee would not be contained in a statute but in the articles of association of the new regulator, which could still be negotiated to ensure all national and regional newspapers come on board.Sources said the veto or guarantee would not be contained in a statute but in the articles of association of the new regulator, which could still be negotiated to ensure all national and regional newspapers come on board.
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