News

News

Hislop: "I do not believe in a regulated press"

17/01/2012

The editor of Private Eye has told the Leveson Inquiry he does not believe in a regulated press.Ian Hislop, who gave evidence this morning, said papers should obey the law and be accountable to the public.He said: "I do hope you'll call some members of the public, and ask them why they bought the News of the World".Hislop said his magazine is “unique” and he did not want to be “tarred with the same brush” as Northern & Shell owner Richard Desmond.He admitted it was “embarrassing” that Desmond’s publications were the only other papers not in the PCC. He said he could “reconsider” joining regulation if the body was to change but was against being forced into arbitration.Hislop pointed out Private Eye publishes “two pages a week attacking individuals and newspapers” and he would not expect to get a “fair hearing” from fellow editors. He made it clear Private Eye worked in line with the PCC code, and the principles and ethics of journalism should be “self evident”.He added Desmond was the “worst” example of a proprietor setting the agenda for his newspapers, and comments he made on ethics before Lord Justice Leveson should not be taken as a “rule of thumb” for the industry.Hislop said press coverage of the inquiry had been selective, and journalists had not reported “critical” information about their publications.The editor was also asked about public interest and gave the example of Sir Fred Goodwin, who took out an injunction to prevent details of an affair with a senior colleague, as a “grey area” that should be judged by editors. He said that any “reasonable editor” would not have thought it acceptable to “hack into a murdered girl’s phone”.Hislop told the inquiry that he had been personally targeted by private investigator Steve Whittamore, who obtained numbers of his family and bank manager.

Download the full report:

Download report

Queries: campaign@hackinginquiry.org

related Posts

Coverage of Professor Arday was not legitimate: the letter The Times refused to publish
Guest blog: Professor Paul Wragg replies to the letter published in The Times on 25 August defending the press coverage of Professor Jason Arday. The Times declined to publish his reply. We publish it here in full.
8/28/26
News
Defensive, evasive & hypocritical: The press reaction to the death of Jason Arday
The reaction of national newspapers to the death of Professor Jason Arday has exposed a brittle defensiveness at the heart of the press, and a determination to remain outside any meaningful accountability.
8/26/26
News
When media abuse of academics becomes the norm in HE
Following the death of Jason Arday, Corinne Fowler writes on the toll of media abuse on academics and what universities must do to protect their staff.
8/19/26
News
Reporting montage
Professor Arday, IPSO, and the press: steps to end the cycle of tragedy
Guest blog: Professor Paul Wragg, Professor of Media Law at the University of Leeds, on why the press hounding of Professor Jason Arday will happen again unless politicians act.
8/16/26
News