Press Freedom is a boring subject

Here we are today, with the Government in a nice fix of its own making over Press Freedom. The Left, in the form of Labour and 'Hacked-Off', together with the Guardian spinning some crucial lies at the right time, have managed to get a majority in Parliament on their to to regulate the press by statute. So ending 300 years of Press Freedom. What do 'the people' think - er, nothing, this is nto really one for the man on the Clapham Omnibus is it. Indeed, after the scandal of phone hacking most people probably think the Press needs its wings clipping. I could not agree more, but with a whole host of journalists awaiting trial we are already at the point where future journo's will think twice before doing anything to get a story?

But the whole press issue is boring, of more interest is the direction of travel. How long will the writers of this blog continue to be able to publish without being registered or be able to publish with anonymity? We have been writing for 7 years now, but I doubt that will last another 7 years without state intrusion. Across the world there are great attacks on press freedom, often in a mis-applied response to the rise of twitter and facebook as forums for information sharing.

However, newspapers who are shock story driven, are overly keen to promote themselves as this thin end of the wedge, when the collective behavoiur of the editors has been abhorrent for years. Just look at the Gaurdian's relativistic morals publishing of Edward Snowden's revelations or the Mail happily laying into the dead if it helps make their point.

How can we stop the politicians form hiding there affairs and expenses (which explains the keeness of the dishonourbale members to vote for regulation on all sides of the house) but also tame the wilder elements on the press who are happy to ruin peoples' lives for the sake of a few extra copies? As often, the simple way is actually to carry on as is. The Written press is dying out anyway with newspaper sales and revenues collapsing. it's current desperation is bourne out of its failing business model. Let's instead allow it to blow itself out, but not let the politicians ape France and be able hide their indiscretions and wrong-doings.