Regional editor urges a mass boycott of News of the World
The editor of one of the UK’s leading regional dailies is urging people to boycott the News of the World in the wake of allegations that it hacked into the voicemail messages of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.
Media website, Holdthefrontpage, reports today that Peter Barron editor of the Northern Echo, said he didn’t believe that senior executives at the Rupert Murdoch-owned title were unaware of what was going on and should be sacked.
In a blog post, he said boycotting the paper would send a strong message that people will not stand for what he called “flagrant abuse of privacy in the name of journalism.”
Wrote Peter: “As an editor (albeit in the regional press) do I really believe that senior executives were blissfully unaware that this was going on at the News of the World? No, I don’t.
“If it came to light that journalists under my supervision were hacking into the phones of a missing teenager at the centre of a major police inquiry, would I expect to be sacked? Yes, I would.”
“What also saddens me is that it cements the public perception that journalists are a seedy, untrustworthy bunch who’d sell their grannies for a story.
“Urging people not to buy newspapers is not something I do lightly. But a public boycott of the News of the World would send a very strong message that people won’t stand for such flagrant abuse of privacy in the name of journalism.”
Peter went on to predict that Rebekah Brooks – News of the World editor at the time and now News International’s chief executive – will “find it hard to survive the fall-out” from the scandal.
Meantime, the Press Complaints Commission has issued a statement saying: “It is right to use this terrible moment in British journalism as a catalyst to improve the reach and range of the PCC.
“We are committed to working with the industry, and politicians, to ensure that this can happen. ” it said.
The press watchdog said the Milly Dowler allegations will “appal and concern everybody in equal measure”.