Leveson & Get Me Outta Here

On the day of the Leveson enquiry publication, via the Today Programme, I heard about a stunt on the previous night's 'I'm a Celebrity (questionable) Get me Outta Here'. I'm incensed and as my internet is down I can't vent my spleen in a tweet. So, after the event, here it is. My spleen, posted on my blog (splog).

Apparently there was a trial that, if won, would have resulted in a contestant being reunited with the 7 year old child they hadn't seen in weeks. They failed. I don't give a flying whatsit about the parent, but I feel for the child, I can only imagine their acute disappointment. As a full grown adult and a parent a red mist has descended on me. I'm angry and incredulous of all involved.

It's like Jeremy Kyle. Why is that scummy show still on? Why do people want to be spoon-fed the same horrific sob stories EVERY single day? WHY do they want to appear on it? And please Ikea, why is it acceptable to broadcast people's despair in your returns department? I don't want to be forced to watch it. Why don't more people complain? Am I really the only one? I'm told it's what people want. It's what society wants.... A freak show. I despair sometimes.

It's this 'lions and christians' bloodlust that society thirstily pays to be satisfied that fuels the press to sink to the depths of phone hacking and the telephoto lens. Indeed lines are crossed and barrels scraped when reporting turns into the hounding of victims, innocents and the average Joe, but this would not happen if we didn't bay for titillation. No wonder clever boy Hugh Grant campaigns, and he and many like him will continue to campaign to halt the meddling into personal affairs. I don't blame him, but I cannot back him. I feel its like binge drinking, the problem won't be solved by laying down rules in law. Its a change in attitude and society that is needed. It's not a quick fix.

I do not want to see regulations of ANY kind imposed on the media as I do not want a legislative result that may muzzle any worthy political journalism. If that were to happen then we'd all be stuffed. The whole world would be, as a nation we are well regarded for our freedom of speech and press. We may not lead in much, but we lead in this. The world is watching Leveson and the results, and I am scared of Big Brother. I do in fact mean the original Orwellian concept, but the same can be said of the crap programme too...

Let's campaign to stop giving the media the impetus to provide us with inane and salacious crap. It is more harmful that it might seem. Let's stop watching and buying the crap. Please. 

I wrote above on the morning of 29 November. Later that day the Leveson report was released. He seems to conclude that some form of media watchdog and watchdog of watchdog should be set up. It's come to this, regulation via legislation. Words written in law. Incredibly it's also come to my siding with David Cameron for once. "Bonkers".

I never dreamed the day would ever come...