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Regional papers dismiss Nick Clegg press regulation claim Regional papers dismiss Nick Clegg press regulation claim
(5 months later)
Regional newspapers have dismissed suggestions by Nick Clegg that they could set up their own press regulator if they could not afford to be part of the watchdog being planned by the government.Regional newspapers have dismissed suggestions by Nick Clegg that they could set up their own press regulator if they could not afford to be part of the watchdog being planned by the government.
They also come close to accusing the Conservatives of reneging on their duty to protect local papers and said the government has ignored all their concerns "about the potential cost of regulation" because of the proposed arbitration scheme to deal with complaints.They also come close to accusing the Conservatives of reneging on their duty to protect local papers and said the government has ignored all their concerns "about the potential cost of regulation" because of the proposed arbitration scheme to deal with complaints.
In a letter to culture secretary Maria Miller, David Newell, director of industry trade body the Newspaper Society, said the royal charter the government agreed in the early hours of 18 March with Clegg's Liberal Democrats, Labour and pressure group Hacked Off has not been discussed with local papers.In a letter to culture secretary Maria Miller, David Newell, director of industry trade body the Newspaper Society, said the royal charter the government agreed in the early hours of 18 March with Clegg's Liberal Democrats, Labour and pressure group Hacked Off has not been discussed with local papers.
Newell added that there was nothing in the royal charter-backed regulator agreed by the three main parties to support the deputy prime minister's suggestion that the 1,100 local and regional papers he represents could set up their own "Charter Lite" watchdog.Newell added that there was nothing in the royal charter-backed regulator agreed by the three main parties to support the deputy prime minister's suggestion that the 1,100 local and regional papers he represents could set up their own "Charter Lite" watchdog.
Newell's letter, which is unusually forthright in its language, added that regional publishers were wholly behind the alternative royal charter put forward by some of the country's leading national newspaper groups last week.Newell's letter, which is unusually forthright in its language, added that regional publishers were wholly behind the alternative royal charter put forward by some of the country's leading national newspaper groups last week.
In a oblique warning, he urged Miller not to put forward a royal charter local papers do not support. "The monarch's prerogative powers should not be used to impose a regulatory regime on regional and local newspapers without consultation and a genuine attempt to proceed by consent," Newell wrote.In a oblique warning, he urged Miller not to put forward a royal charter local papers do not support. "The monarch's prerogative powers should not be used to impose a regulatory regime on regional and local newspapers without consultation and a genuine attempt to proceed by consent," Newell wrote.
"There is nothing in the government's proposed royal charter which suggests that a regulator for the regional press will be able to act in such a way," he added."There is nothing in the government's proposed royal charter which suggests that a regulator for the regional press will be able to act in such a way," he added.
"It will have to meet the same rigid, near-permanent charter and recognition criteria which will apply to all other newspapers and magazines particularly in respect of the compulsory arbitration scheme.""It will have to meet the same rigid, near-permanent charter and recognition criteria which will apply to all other newspapers and magazines particularly in respect of the compulsory arbitration scheme."
Regional and local newspaper publishers have made their strong reservations about the arbitration scheme public for some time, warning that it would open the "floodgates" to ambulance-chasing lawyers who would trawl for mistakes and then look for cash compensation for clients who might otherwise not have sought redress.Regional and local newspaper publishers have made their strong reservations about the arbitration scheme public for some time, warning that it would open the "floodgates" to ambulance-chasing lawyers who would trawl for mistakes and then look for cash compensation for clients who might otherwise not have sought redress.
Because of the costs of libel and high court privacy claims, local and regional papers rarely go to court, and print corrections and clarifications after discussion with complainants directly or following mediation by the Press Complaints Commission, which deals with readers for free.Because of the costs of libel and high court privacy claims, local and regional papers rarely go to court, and print corrections and clarifications after discussion with complainants directly or following mediation by the Press Complaints Commission, which deals with readers for free.
Local papers fear that the arbitration system would end up costing them £3,000 per complaint, potentially forcing some newspapers over the financial precipice.Local papers fear that the arbitration system would end up costing them £3,000 per complaint, potentially forcing some newspapers over the financial precipice.
Newell's letter comes a month after the editor-in-chief of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, urged the government to put the royal charter on hold for a year to give the newspaper industry a chance to prove it could get its house in order and was capable of robust self-regulation.Newell's letter comes a month after the editor-in-chief of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, urged the government to put the royal charter on hold for a year to give the newspaper industry a chance to prove it could get its house in order and was capable of robust self-regulation.
The Guardian, the Financial Times and the Independent have not signed up to the newspaper industry's rival royal charter and will almost certainly demand that some tweaks are made before agreeing to support it.The Guardian, the Financial Times and the Independent have not signed up to the newspaper industry's rival royal charter and will almost certainly demand that some tweaks are made before agreeing to support it.
There are two main contentious issues – the newspaper industry's attempt to cling on to a veto as to who sits on the watchdog's board and the decision to ditch the government ban on members of the Lords being on the board. This would allow the likes of Lord Hunt, the current Tory chairman of the PCC, or Lord Black, the executive director of the Telegraph Media Group who is heavily involved in the industry lobbying effort over press regulation reform, to take up a seat on the board.There are two main contentious issues – the newspaper industry's attempt to cling on to a veto as to who sits on the watchdog's board and the decision to ditch the government ban on members of the Lords being on the board. This would allow the likes of Lord Hunt, the current Tory chairman of the PCC, or Lord Black, the executive director of the Telegraph Media Group who is heavily involved in the industry lobbying effort over press regulation reform, to take up a seat on the board.
Under government proposals, no serving editors, MPs or Lords would be eligible to sit on the board, save for cross-bench peers who had not had a party affiliation for five years.Under government proposals, no serving editors, MPs or Lords would be eligible to sit on the board, save for cross-bench peers who had not had a party affiliation for five years.
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