The British Press
So a man
who isn't Mr Jefferies has just been charged with murdering landscape architect Jo Yeates.
Rewind 3 weeks...
The Sun, 31st December 2010
The Sun, 1st January 2011...
But what's this? One week later, The Sun more-or-less acknowledges they believe the killer is still on the loose...
If Mr Jefferies sues for libel and wins, expect a "correction" buried somewhere at the bottom of page 14 - something that will do little to restore the man's reputation.
And without meaning to get overly political, god help us if Rupert Murdoch succeeds in acquiring all of Sky News and the government then agrees to relax impartiality rules on broadcast news - which seems to be where they're heading.
Though admittedly it wasn't just the Sun - other 'usual suspects' were at it...
I'm generally not in favour of regulation, but in the case of the press I think I would welcome more, not less. I know there's a balance to be struck between a press with the freedom to do its job but occasionally be wrong, and a press that publishes recklessly in the knowledge that any punitive damages will never hurt it.
I think the balance is still wrong.
As it stands, they know they can get away with all sorts of lies, hurt, nonsense, because the sensational content outweighs the amount they would have to pay in libel costs (and minimal reputation/commercial damage from the people who continue to buy these rags, who just take it in their stride.)
Be interested to know what the press is like in other countries, and what everyone else thinks about this.