Oh I am just a student, sir, and only want to learn
But it's hard to read through the risin' smoke of the books that you like to burn
So I'd like to make a promise and I'd like to make a vow
That when I've got something to say, sir, I'm gonna say it now - Phil Ochs
One of those days when a song lyric came into my head and I couldn't lodge it. So there it is above and it seemed somehow appropriate for what I am going to talk about today - the decision yesterday not to order Media groups to release footage from the Dale Farm travellers' site eviction to the police. This is a complex and important judgement as far as freedom of the press goes. I have been on both sides of this situation - having worked both as a journalist and for the police over the past 30 years. In fact my 40 year working life has been split almost equally between journalism and public relations.
Obviously the Police must have access at times to footage if it helps them detect crimes or protect the public. But this cannot be a catch-all situation where the Police can apply willy nilly for any footage they fancy seeing.
Journalism at times can be a tough profession. A small minority of journos get the profession a bad name, one only has to think of the current controversy over phone hacking to understand that journalism can be tainted. The majority of journalists, however, are professional in what they do. As one reporter pointed out it takes a considerable effort at times to build up trust with a particular group of people. People such as the travellers at Dale Farm. A good journalist is not there to take sides but to put all sides of an argument or situation which allows the public to make up their own mind. This doesn't mean being in the pockets of any particular group but producing copy or broadcasts that are fair and balanced. I always saw my job (and still do) to be a chronicler of events.
Being fair and balanced would become impossible if those being interviewed thought the footage could later be handed over to the police on a whim. In the Dale Farm case it appears the police asked for over 100 hours of unshown footage on a whim, presumably because they thought it might be an interesting thing to have.
This is in no way justification for asking for cart blanch when it comes to film or tape footage. As the ruling stated there has to be a specific reason for the press being ordered to release footage and that is one of the major points here. Direction to hand over footage would have set a dangerous precedent that could lead to a loss of any trust built up by journalists in both this and future situations. This was not about the rights or wrongs of what happened at Dale Farm but about control and fairness. In my opinion it was the correct ruling and, of course, does not prevent future applications by the police on specific events when footage could help to solve crimes.
In my years working in a police press office, the relationship between the Police and the Media was pretty decent and was very much a two way street of co-operation and respect. I'm sure in general terms this ruling won't do anything to seriously harm this.
* * *
So David Platt goes up to the bar in Coronation Street and orders "two beers." He gets two bottles without the barman asking the obvious questions - "do you want bitter or lager, bottled or tapped, half pint or pint etc etc.
But it's hard to read through the risin' smoke of the books that you like to burn
So I'd like to make a promise and I'd like to make a vow
That when I've got something to say, sir, I'm gonna say it now - Phil Ochs
One of those days when a song lyric came into my head and I couldn't lodge it. So there it is above and it seemed somehow appropriate for what I am going to talk about today - the decision yesterday not to order Media groups to release footage from the Dale Farm travellers' site eviction to the police. This is a complex and important judgement as far as freedom of the press goes. I have been on both sides of this situation - having worked both as a journalist and for the police over the past 30 years. In fact my 40 year working life has been split almost equally between journalism and public relations.
Obviously the Police must have access at times to footage if it helps them detect crimes or protect the public. But this cannot be a catch-all situation where the Police can apply willy nilly for any footage they fancy seeing.
Journalism at times can be a tough profession. A small minority of journos get the profession a bad name, one only has to think of the current controversy over phone hacking to understand that journalism can be tainted. The majority of journalists, however, are professional in what they do. As one reporter pointed out it takes a considerable effort at times to build up trust with a particular group of people. People such as the travellers at Dale Farm. A good journalist is not there to take sides but to put all sides of an argument or situation which allows the public to make up their own mind. This doesn't mean being in the pockets of any particular group but producing copy or broadcasts that are fair and balanced. I always saw my job (and still do) to be a chronicler of events.
Being fair and balanced would become impossible if those being interviewed thought the footage could later be handed over to the police on a whim. In the Dale Farm case it appears the police asked for over 100 hours of unshown footage on a whim, presumably because they thought it might be an interesting thing to have.
This is in no way justification for asking for cart blanch when it comes to film or tape footage. As the ruling stated there has to be a specific reason for the press being ordered to release footage and that is one of the major points here. Direction to hand over footage would have set a dangerous precedent that could lead to a loss of any trust built up by journalists in both this and future situations. This was not about the rights or wrongs of what happened at Dale Farm but about control and fairness. In my opinion it was the correct ruling and, of course, does not prevent future applications by the police on specific events when footage could help to solve crimes.
In my years working in a police press office, the relationship between the Police and the Media was pretty decent and was very much a two way street of co-operation and respect. I'm sure in general terms this ruling won't do anything to seriously harm this.
* * *
So David Platt goes up to the bar in Coronation Street and orders "two beers." He gets two bottles without the barman asking the obvious questions - "do you want bitter or lager, bottled or tapped, half pint or pint etc etc.
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