By Oliver Luft
Libel damages should be capped at £10,000 as a way to help prevent England’s out-of-date laws making it a "global pariah", free speech campaigners said today.English PEN and Index on Censorship said urgent action was needed to reform out-dated libel laws to help prevent libel tourism and to restrict wealthy individuals that "bully people who try to hold them to account".
The two organisations have published a report, titled Free Speech Is Not For Sale, identifying ten areas of concern and a series of recommendations they say should form the basis of a Libel Bill to update the existing system.
The report said current laws have a "negative impact" on freedom of expression both in the UK and around the world as wealthy foreigners can bring libel actions in England against foreign publications if they is distributed in this country.The Ministry of Justice says it would "carefully consider" the suggestions.
to read more: http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=44586&c=1
Tuesday 10 November 2009
Cap libel damages at £10,000, says report
CALL FOR PANEL PROPOSALS - "Literary Journalism: Perspectives and Prospects"
International Association for Literary Journalism Studies
"Literary Journalism: Perspectives and Prospects"
The Fifth International Conference for Literary Journalism Studies
(IALJS-5)
The International Association for Literary Journalism Studies invites proposals for panels on Literary Journalism for the IALJS annual convention on 20-22 May 2010. The conference will be held at the School of Arts at Roehampton University in London, U.K.
The association especially hopes to receive proposals related to the general conference theme, "Literary Journalism: Perspectives and Prospects." All submissions must be in English.
For more information regarding the conference or the association,
please go to http://WWW.IALJS.ORG
"Literary Journalism: Perspectives and Prospects"
The Fifth International Conference for Literary Journalism Studies
(IALJS-5)
The International Association for Literary Journalism Studies invites proposals for panels on Literary Journalism for the IALJS annual convention on 20-22 May 2010. The conference will be held at the School of Arts at Roehampton University in London, U.K.
The association especially hopes to receive proposals related to the general conference theme, "Literary Journalism: Perspectives and Prospects." All submissions must be in English.
For more information regarding the conference or the association,
please go to http://WWW.IALJS.ORG
Murdoch could block Google searches entirely
Bobbie Johnson, San Francisco
guardian.co.uk, Monday 9 November 2009
Rupert Murdoch says he will remove stories from Google's search index as a way to encourage people to pay for content online.
In an interview with Sky News Australia, the mogul said that newspapers in his media empire – including the Sun, the Times and the Wall Street Journal – would consider blocking Google entirely once they had enacted plans to charge people for reading their stories on the web. In recent months, Murdoch his lieutenants have stepped up their war of words with Google, accusing it of "kleptomania" and acting as a "parasite" for including News Corp content in its Google News pages.
But asked why News Corp executives had not chosen to simply remove their websites entirely from Google's search indexes – a simple technical operation –
Murdoch said just such a move was on the cards. "I think we will, but that's when we start charging," he said. "We have it already with the Wall Street Journal. We have a wall, but it's not right to the ceiling. You can get, usually, the first paragraph from any story - but if you're not a paying subscriber to WSJ.com all you get is a paragraph and a subscription form."
To read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/09/murdoch-google
guardian.co.uk, Monday 9 November 2009
Rupert Murdoch says he will remove stories from Google's search index as a way to encourage people to pay for content online.
In an interview with Sky News Australia, the mogul said that newspapers in his media empire – including the Sun, the Times and the Wall Street Journal – would consider blocking Google entirely once they had enacted plans to charge people for reading their stories on the web. In recent months, Murdoch his lieutenants have stepped up their war of words with Google, accusing it of "kleptomania" and acting as a "parasite" for including News Corp content in its Google News pages.
But asked why News Corp executives had not chosen to simply remove their websites entirely from Google's search indexes – a simple technical operation –
Murdoch said just such a move was on the cards. "I think we will, but that's when we start charging," he said. "We have it already with the Wall Street Journal. We have a wall, but it's not right to the ceiling. You can get, usually, the first paragraph from any story - but if you're not a paying subscriber to WSJ.com all you get is a paragraph and a subscription form."
To read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/09/murdoch-google
Max Mosley takes privacy fight to European court in Strasbourg
Afua Hirsch, legal affairs correspondent
guardian.co.uk
Monday 9 November 2009
Max Mosley, the former president of Formula One's governing body FIA, is to challenge the law of privacy in the European court of human rights in Strasbourg. Mosley, whose private sexual practices became news in July last year, says the £60,000 damages he received from the News of the World is not an adequate remedy. He wants editors obliged to contact the subject of their revelations before publishing articles that could invade privacy.
"I think it's wrong in a civilised society that a tabloid editor can destroy a family and wreck a life without being answerable to anybody," he said.
The law allows newspapers to publish stories about public figures that may infringe privacy, if there is a public interest. The NoW published under the headline "F1 boss has sick Nazi orgy with 5 hookers". Mosley learned of it the day it was published, and says going through the courts had a "very bad effect" on him and his family, because a victim "has to publicise all over again the very thing they are trying to keep private. If I had been notified, at least I could have challenged it in front of an independent person."
The changes he wants might undermine the right to freedom of expression. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/09/max-mosley-privacy-europe-strasbourg
guardian.co.uk
Monday 9 November 2009
Max Mosley, the former president of Formula One's governing body FIA, is to challenge the law of privacy in the European court of human rights in Strasbourg. Mosley, whose private sexual practices became news in July last year, says the £60,000 damages he received from the News of the World is not an adequate remedy. He wants editors obliged to contact the subject of their revelations before publishing articles that could invade privacy.
"I think it's wrong in a civilised society that a tabloid editor can destroy a family and wreck a life without being answerable to anybody," he said.
The law allows newspapers to publish stories about public figures that may infringe privacy, if there is a public interest. The NoW published under the headline "F1 boss has sick Nazi orgy with 5 hookers". Mosley learned of it the day it was published, and says going through the courts had a "very bad effect" on him and his family, because a victim "has to publicise all over again the very thing they are trying to keep private. If I had been notified, at least I could have challenged it in front of an independent person."
The changes he wants might undermine the right to freedom of expression. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/09/max-mosley-privacy-europe-strasbourg
Monday 09 November 2009
Grants for Global Investigative Conference in Geneva
Grants ! Grants ! Grants !
Dear Colleagues,
Grants forms are now available for the 6th Global Investigative Conference in Geneva, 22-25 April 2010 on www.gijc2010.ch. Deadline is on th 31st January 2010.
Applications for the Global Shinning Light Award and the Daniel Pearl Awards are also available on the same address. Registration forms and a first tentative program should be online by December.Best regards to all ! Jean-Philippe Ceppi
Dear Colleagues,
Grants forms are now available for the 6th Global Investigative Conference in Geneva, 22-25 April 2010 on www.gijc2010.ch. Deadline is on th 31st January 2010.
Applications for the Global Shinning Light Award and the Daniel Pearl Awards are also available on the same address. Registration forms and a first tentative program should be online by December.Best regards to all ! Jean-Philippe Ceppi
