Good scoopette by the Sun: Lib Dems unveil ‘public interest’ defence for journalists plans. It reports that journalists who break the law in order to expose wrongdoing would be given legal protection under plans to be revealed in the Lib Dems’ manifesto.
It would allow investigative reporters to use a “public interest” defence if they end up in court, a change that would itself be in the interest of the public in this society.
The Sun reports Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg as saying that such a change “would provide peace of mind to journalists”. Indeed it would. Here’s Clegg’s quote to the paper:
“Very often the only way the public gets to know about corruption and wrongdoing is through the dogged investigations of newspapers like the Sun.
In rare cases, journalists break the law in order to get to the truth. Journalists who do so in the public interest shouldn’t be dragged through the courts.
If they are called to court to answer for their actions they should be able to defend themselves”.
It will not, of course, give journalists licence to do as they like. They would be able to advance the defence “in exceptional cases” if it led to them uncovering criminal behaviour.
Legal protection would cover instances of paying public officials and the accessing of computer data.
Several Sun journalists have been cleared in recent months after standing trial accused of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office by paying state employees for stories.
The Sun quotes “a Lib Dem source” as saying that the absence of a statutory public interest defence “has a chilling effect” on journalists’ willingness to pursue a story which may land them in court.
