http://www.cpbf.org.uk Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom News Feed en-us Copyright 2008, CPBF gherman@KeywordsAssociates.com webmaster@cpbf.org.uk http://www.cpbf.org.uk/images/cpbflogo.gif http://www.cpbf.org.uk/ 88 31 News Feed from the CPBF http://www.cpbf.org.uk/body.php?id=2320 DATELINE:andnbsp;8/3/10 On 2 March the BBC Trustandnbsp; published a proposed strategy for the BBC inviting views from the public and industry on the future direction for the corporation (see NUJ responsearfticle dated 1 Marchandnbsp;below). Itand#39;s now time for you to have your say. http://www.cpbf.org.uk/body.php?id=2315 DATELINE:andnbsp;4/3/10 The axing of 1,700 staff and the sale or closure off 30 publications helped the UKand#39;s biggest newspaper publisher - Trinity Mirror andndash; stay comfortably in profit in 2009. http://www.cpbf.org.uk/body.php?id=2314 DATELINE:andnbsp;4/3/10 Jack Straw has taken action to reduce the success fees that lawyers can charge in defamation cases from 100% to 10%. English PEN and Index on Censorshipand#39;s report on libel law, andquot;Free Speech is Not for Saleandquot; recommended capping base costs and making success fees and After the Event insurance non-recoverable. http://www.cpbf.org.uk/body.php?id=2313 DATELINE:andnbsp;1/3/10 The National Union of Journalists has condemned BBC plans to implement a multi-million pound cuts package at the corporation as a desperate pre-election sacrifice. The proposals, which the reports claim have been drawn up by former Tory policy chief and current BBC Director of Policy and Strategy John Tate, include closing two national radio stations - BBC Asian Network and BBC 6 Music, slashing the online budget by 25 per cent, closing the BBC Blast! and BBC Switch websites, in addition to cutting the corporationand#39;s website staff by a quarter and disposing of BBC Worldwideand#39;s UK magazine titles. http://www.cpbf.org.uk/body.php?id=2312 DATELINE:andnbsp;1/3/10 andnbsp;The governments announcement that it has dropped its proposal to exempt cabinet papers from the Freedom of Information Act, and that it will reduce the 30 year rule to 20 years, has been welcomed by the Campaign for Freedom of Information. The changes follow a review of the 30 year rule by a committee chaired by Paul Dacre, managing editor of Associated News, and set up by the prime minister. In response to the reviews recommendations, the government announced that old government records would be publicly available in The National Archives after 20 years, instead of the current 30 years (though the review had called for 15-year period). But it also said it would create two new absolute exemptions to the FOI Act, one for cabinet papers and the other for the Royal Family. In neither case would the Acts public interest test apply. http://www.cpbf.org.uk/body.php?id=2311 DATELINE:andnbsp;1/3/10 A report prepared for the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) into a controversy over illegal telephone hacking in the tabloid press in Britain says that the countryand#39;s self-regulator is in need of urgent reform to enhance the reputation of British journalism. The report was commissioned by the IFJ after the British Press Complaints Commission carried out two inquiries following claims of illegal tapping of the telephones of celebrities by journalists at The News of the World, the flagship title of the Rupert Murdoch press in Britain. http://www.cpbf.org.uk/body.php?id=2310 DATELINE:andnbsp;28/2/10 With the election outcome looking less certain by the day, BBC bosses have chosen an odd momentandnbsp; to pre-spin an announcement due next month on their strategic review. They have clearly been spooked by attacks from News Corporation and other vested interests, and capitulated. http://www.cpbf.org.uk/body.php?id=2309 DATELINE:andnbsp;24/2/10 andnbsp;andquot; Scotland Yard are sitting on a whole bank of information and data about very senior people in public life who were hacked andquot; Tom Watson MP Commons Press briefing 23 February 2010.The publishers of the News of the World suffered andquot;collective amnesiaandquot; over the extent of illegal phone-tapping by its reporters, a group of MPs have said. The Culture, Media and Sport committee interviewed News International bosses after the Guardian claimed the practice was widespread at the Sunday tabloid. There had been more than a handful of victims and it was inconceivable no-one at the tabloid had known, the MPs said. News International rejected the claims and said the committee had exaggerated. http://www.cpbf.org.uk/body.php?id=2308 DATELINE:andnbsp;21/2/10 Following last weeks report by the Press Complaints Commission about Jan Moirand#39;s Mail article, Julian Petley chair of the Campaign appeared on Sky News on the evening of Thursday 18 February and on BBCand#39;s The Big Questions this morning (21 February). Julian now writes: Many of the 25,000 people who complained to the Press Complaints Commission about Jan Moirand#39;s article in the Mail, 16 October 2009, about the death of Stephen Gately are clearly bitterly disappointed and deeply outraged that their complaints have not been upheld. But Iand#39;m afraid that here at the CPBF we would have put a large sum of money on this outcome, and also would have bet the house that a major part of the PCCand#39;s argument for rejecting the complaints was that Moirand#39;s article simply represented her own opinions.