Via Trooper Thomson, and Liberal Conspiracy, the outgoing chair of the PCC wants bloggers to sign up to – and pay for – regulation. Those who cough up get a kite mark, apparently. That’s the wheeze anyway.
My response? It’s in the title.
Comments are closed.
I’m not a blogger, I’m a blog visitor. If all blogs were kite-marked, presumably having been forced to do so, then my only choice would be to visit or not.
If, however, kite-marking were voluntary, leaving some ‘approved’ and others not, do you know, I honestly think would sack the former.
I don’t want to see regulation; I’m prepared to tolerate a little unintentional inaccuracy (say, where’s there’s early speculation on a subject I consider to be important, or where the truth of an issue or idea has yet to be established); I don’t want ‘approved’ speak. But I do want, irony, satire, ego-pricking, piss-taking of the establishment and of our lords and masters. Oh, and lots of swearing.
In fact, what I want is precisely what I imagine Lord Hunt would regulate.
Yeah state approved blogs. Somehow I think the PCC just doesn’t ‘get’ those internet or freedom of speech thingys.
Or perhaps they do…
Blogs are the new Samizdat or the pamphlets of the 18thC. They are the means by which people exchange ideas and opinions and as such do not need regulation, voluntary or otherwise. The pre-existing laws of libel are more than sufficient.
When the PCC has put its house in order, it can think about lecturing the rest of us. In the meantime, how many bloggers have tapped peoples’ mobile phone messages? Or invaded peoples’ privacy? Perverting the course of justice? And how many of us have engaged in trial by media placing ourselves in contempt of court?
Whatever bloggers may have done it pales into insignificance when compared to the routine malfeasance of the press. That is what the PCC should be concentrating on, not those of us pointing out the misbehaviour of its members.
“how many bloggers have tapped peoples’ mobile phone messages? Or invaded peoples’ privacy? Perverting the course of justice? And how many of us have engaged in trial by media placing ourselves in contempt of court?”
Precisely.
Yeah I’ll get right on that then. Just as soon as I’ve invented a clean, renewable and abundant energy source.
There are too many cases these days where Arkell v Pressdram is the appropriate comment. I can’t see how they can achieve their goal.
I don’t want anything which has been ‘approved’ of and thus sanitised by the state. I enjoy the diverse opinions that I can read on various blogs and I’m old enough to know how to think for myself when I weigh up what I have read.
There is more truth and honesty in the blogosphere than in all of the MSM combined
It is the truth and honesty in the blogosphere which wads the underwear of The Powers That Be.
Long may that continue!