|
The judge done well
Brian Cathcart, founder and executive director of the campaigning group Hacked Off,
offers a corrective to the way in which Leveson has been covered by newspapers. He
believes the report amounts to a good deal for the press and the people.
Hands off the press
"The entire post-Leveson debate has turned reality on its head," writes Mick Hume.
"The British press does not need a tough new regulator to tame it. The truth is that
it is already not nearly free or open enough." Hume, editor-at-large of the website
spiked goes on to argue his case with passion.
Censorship by bullet
Some journalists may be sceptical about efforts to stem the tide of violence against
media workers. But William Horsley and Jackie Harrison make out a strong case for
united global action to protect journalists from murder and call for an end to
impunity.
Dominant males
Men continue to dominate the media, argues Jane Martinson, women's editor of The
Guardian. She cites surveys showing that women are quoted far less often than men in
newspaper articles, there are many fewer women political correspondents and only two
female editors of national papers.
Blog: A question of taste
With so much now out in the open, it’s hard to see how press regulation can be
stitched up away from public gaze. But what can be achieved by regulation amid the
continuing post-Leveson confusion
The media beat is not for cissies
Dan Sabbagh, after five years as media editor of The Times and two more as head of
The Guardian’s media section, reflects on the highs and lows of writing about “one’s
own boss class.” It opens with a revealing anecdote about abseiling at Wapping.
Reporting risks
Pakistani journalists working in their own country are often treated like villains,
writes Syed Irfan Ashraf. In noting that Pakistan has topped the list as the most
dangerous country for journalists to work in for three successive years, he reflects
on the continuing threat to independent journalism in his homeland.
The punditry racket
Chris Moss highlights the phenomenon of "the opinion club", the relatively small
pool of people called upon by the media to offer their views. And he coins the word
"opinionatedness" to define "the fabrication of a robust opinion without genuine
passion", which he sees as "a sure route to fame."
The top drawer
Cartoon historian Mark Bryant salutes Vicky (Victor Weisz), the brilliant newspaper
cartoonist who lampooned Hitler and his cronies throughout the war. But arguably the
most memorable of them all was his portrayal of Stalin, after the Soviet victory at
Stalingrad, as the Mona Lisa.
Africa: Tell it like it is
Trevor Grundy, who spent 30 years reporting from Africa, calls for a new light to be
shed on the dark continent. With forecasts of Africa developing a tiger economy, he
wants see a new cohort of "dedicated, experienced and intrepid reporters" telling it
like it is.
Striving for freedom
South Africa's national and regional newspapers are in a fragile financial state.
But there is much for them to do, writes John Dludlu, former editor of the Sowetan.
At least they have secured their freedom from avoided state regulation. For now.
The art of reporting
Freelance journalist Christine Finn has blurred the boundaries between journalism
and art to such an extent it is impossible to tell what is news and what is art. She
explains the story between her remarkable "Leave Home Stay" project.
|
