Don't tar the regional media with the #NOTW brush

Posted on: 6th July 2011 in Politics Media

The public outcry over the News of the World phone hacking scandal shows no sign of going away. In fact, as the debate moves on to wider issues about news gathering techniques, this looks like it will be THE issue of the summer.

With the tabloid press squirming uncomfortably under the spotlight it so often puts on other organisations, this is threatening to do for newspapers what the expenses scandal did for politicians (I'll wager we end up with more journalists than politicians in jail).

The consequences for News International, the News of the World and especially those individuals responsible for the outrageous behaviour (someone signed off those payments to the police and private investigators) should be severe, but we mustn't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The UK is full of hard-working, and often poorly paid, journalists working for the hundreds of local and regional newspapers dotted around the country, where editorial and ethical standards are very different.

Here in the north east for example, we have excellent papers like The Northern Echo, Journal and Evening Gazette that form a real part of their communities.

I would hate to see the same trickle down effect that led to local councillors being accused of all sorts of expenses issues happening in the media world. The editors and hard-working journos 'out in the sticks' deserve more.