The Ed says: Two cheers for a watchdog to put new life into newspapers
After the trauma of the News of the World phone hacking scandal, I believe, incredibly , that some good can from the affair: a new Press watchdog with teeth sharp enough to deter dodgy journalists and their bosses, the power to drain Britain's libel morass and the energy to restore respect to our popular newspapers.
Let's keep our fingers crossed
Let's keep our fingers crossed.
It is good that Lord Hunt is still in the picture. Less good that two of the three of the temporary bosses have Conservative connections.
No-one wants an organisation that is thought to be in any way the creation of politicians or answerable to poiticians.
No-one wants an organisation that inhibits solid investigative honest journalism. No-one wants stories about MPs' outrageous expense claims kept out of the papers.
Newspapers and the nation will benefit if the new organisation is able to attract the respect of the public , the journalists and the lawyers.
Now wouldn't that be something!
And if you're looking for a name , what's wrong with Press Ombudsman. That's something everyone understands.
Noel Young is a former editor of the Sunday Mail