A senior British judge concluded Thursday that the country needs a new, independent media regulator to eliminate a subculture of unethical behavior that infected segments of the country’s press.
Lord Justice Brian Leveson says a new regulatory body should be established in law to prevent more people from being hurt by “press behavior that, at times, can only be described as outrageous.”
Leveson reported at the end of a yearlong ethics inquiry triggered by revelations of tabloid phone hacking. His proposals will likely be welcomed by victims of press intrusion and some politicians who want to see the country’s voracious reined in. But some editors and lawmakers fear any new regulator could curtail freedom of the press.
Prime Minister David Cameron set up the inquiry after revelations of illegal eavesdropping by Rupert Murdoch’s now-defunct News of the World tabloid sparked a criminal investigation and a wave of public revulsion.
Leveson criticized the cozy relationship between politicians, police and the press, but he insisted in his 2,000-page report that politicians and the government should play no role in regulating the press.
Parliament would have to approve any legal changes the report recommends, and Cameron is under intense pressure from both sides. He is also tainted by his own ties to prominent figures in the scandal.
Read more: U.K. Media Ethics Report: Britain Needs Independent Press Regulator | TIME.com
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