On Thursday, June 13th, Hacked Off Board Director Jacqui Hames spoke at the Liberal Democrats' Business Network event, on the “Impact of the Media on Politics” in London. The event followed the release of the Liberal Democrat election manifesto, which reiterated the Party's commitment to implementing the Leveson recommendations on press regulation. Other panellists included Barney Jones, Professor of Journalism at City University and former editor of The Andrew Marr Show; Lord Jonny Oates, Chief Executive of United Against Malnutrition and former Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister; Carolyn Quinn, former presenter of The Westminster Hour and PM & Today programs on BBC Radio 4 and Nina Wright, Chair of Harmsworth Media. Stephen Gosling, LDBN Chair, chaired this panel.

Throughout the evening, the panellists delved into the implications of the election on the media landscape, the potential impact of the Leveson Report, and their personal experiences with it, thereby shedding light on the 'Impact of the Media on Politics'.

“The United States has a culture in place where the media abides by high standards and whistleblowers are protected. In the U.K., we lack such measures, with no fines or thorough investigations into the claims of press abuse victims. It's as if a wall of silence has been erected by the mainstream media,” said Hames.Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a hot topic throughout the night, as attendees raised concerns about how it can impact the media and future elections. “If AI takes over reporting, it will become nothing. It [reporting] needs protection across the board, and regulation would protect journalists taking on tech companies and the journalists themselves,” said Hames.

“My biggest fear is that AI will heavily impact investigative journalism – the key if we do not get regulation is going back to grassroots reporting and relying on a sole reporter,” said Nina Wright, in agreement with Hames.

Other heavily discussed topics were regaining the media trust of 16-25-year-old voters, press abuse, and the impact of mainstream media in these 2024 elections. The consensus pointed toward inadequate measures to protect journalists throughout the U.K. It underscored a call to action: implementing regulations to empower journalists and ensure integrity in the media.

‍By Jimena Loza-Naveja