Friday, March 22, 2013

Open organisation...


Big Brother Watch reports on an exclusion inserted into the legislation 'underpinning' the Royal Charter on press-self regulation. The exclusion tabled a couple of hours ago by Lord Lucas and hopefully to be adopted by the Lords will exclude 'A publisher who does not exceed the definition of a small or medium-sized enterprise.' On Monday, the Lords will vote on the legislation “underpinning” the Royal Charter on press-self regulation...And the Blog Off campaign could use your support:
"A free and open world increasingly depends on a free and open internet. The internet empowers everyone — anyone can blog, create, learn, and share. It is controlled by no one — no single organisation, individual, or government. It connects the world. Today, more than two billion people are online — about a third of the planet."
SIGN THE PETITION AND TELL THEM TO BLOG OFF! I even agree with ugly, mouthy, lard-arse Tom Watson and hope the blogosphere remains free for me to call him that; and call Tony Blair the arch vampire, and Gordon Brown every insult under the sun (all richly deserved). Hat-tip Guido.

Update: Sebastian says the same.

3 comments:

Paul said...

In the end there is little to choose between left and right is there. Of course as was pointed out on p.m after the pizza/kit kat stitch up the newspaper industry can simply stick two fingers up at the whole thing and walk away.

What's happened in the last week is that some people have suddenly woken up to the fact that the dead wood press is dead and we all have the power to publish our opinions and opinions should be free as long as they stay within the existing laws of the land. I'd like to know why Hello! isn't classed as a special interest magazine it can hardly be called news in the traditional sense can it?

Span Ows said...

Hi Paul, something isn't right. This whole thing is going too far. All New Labour's intrusions now this, some before that as you say it isn't left or right but it is about control and - at the danger of going off on one! - we are losing all the basic rights we have had for centuries.

Paul said...

I agree, and I think that in the rush to protect celebrities we have lost sight of something. It does seem ironic to me that in an age where some of us bemoan the lack of any real in-depth journalism we are all becoming victims (or potential victims) of a celebrity obsessed culture rather than one that exposes real wrongs.