The closest I've come to the press is that I worked with a woman whose ex-husband - note: ex-husband - was being hounded by the Daily Record. One morning she was wakened very early by someone ringing her front doorbell. When she opened the door, a photographer took her picture. The Daily Record printed it on the front page next day. What did she have to do with her ex-husband's story? Nothing at all. The editor obviously thought a photo of an ex-wife in her dressing gown was in 'the public interest' - I think that means it would sell papers. It also humiliated her professionally and in her community. Of course, she could have complained to the Press Compaints Commission. And it would have done - what exactly?
About as much as the PCC did for the McCanns and the family of Milly Dowler. I'm not too worried about the likes of Hugh Grant and company - they have enough money to protect themselves, although I suspect their best defence would be to keep their private lives totally private and not carry it out in the public arena. But to poor and totally innocent people caught up in horrible troubles, the PCC has proved no defence at all.
So if the PCC is useless, shouldn't we shore it up with more powers? Leveson says yes. So do the Lib Dems, Labour and the victims of press invasion - and probably quite a lot of the public. On the other hand, the Tories and the press say no: we can't have politicians interfering in press matters, although nobody has yet shown how Leveson's proposals would do that.
Anyone want to bet the press win against Leveson? Yep, I think they will too - and the circus will continue to roll on.
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