How free is the British press to report the news.
The British press has a code of practise called, The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) that has to be followed by all newspapers. This code consists of 16 points which cover issues such as harassment, accuracy and the reporting of crime, however, seven of these clauses have an asterisk in front of them, standing for a loop hole. For example, clause three, which is asterisked, covers the issue of privacy. This code states that, "The use of long lens photography to take pictures of people in private places without their consent is unacceptable". .
It seems that after reading the PCC, the press are free to report what they want. After all, it is they who decide what is in the public interest. It could therefore be argued that anything regarding Class A celebrities or the monarchy in private places is of interest to the public. An example of this is the Naomi Campbell case.
Naomi has always had the reputation of being a bit of a diva, a drama queen, or just someone who would kick up a big fuss because her dressing room was not decorated to the Campbell requirements. The Mirror who generally have had a disliking for the supermodel photographed her; attending a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in 2001. The meeting, being anonymous, can be defined as a place of privacy; so technically, Naomi's personal space was violated. Because The Mirror considered the story to be of public interest, the story was published, suggesting that the press are practically free to print what they want.
The issue here however is, the consequences. I do not doubt that The Mirror had thought of the consequences before printing the story. Surely they knew Naomi was likely to kick up a fuss. The Mirror obviously felt the story would sell papers, which is true. The public are interested in the private lives of celebrities, especially if they"re going wrong.
