There is No Such Thing As a Free Press...: And we need one more than ever

by Mick Hume

The aim of this book is to a launch a polemic for the freedom of the press against all of the attempts to police, defile and sanitise journalism today. Once the media reported the news. Now it makes it. The phone-hacking scandal and the Leveson Inquiry into the "culture, practice and ethics" of the media has put the UK press under scrutiny and on trial as never before. There Is No Such Thing as a Free Press questions many of today's distorted but widely-held views of the media, and turns the assumptions underlying the current discussion on their head. The problem is not that the UK press has too much freedom to run wild, but too little liberty. The trouble is not that the UK press is too far out-of-control, but that it is far too conformist. The danger is not that press freedom is too open to abuse, but that the British media is not nearly open enough. Mick Hume draws on the lessons of history and cross-examines the evidence from the Leveson Inquiry to take on the army of conformists and regulators who would further tame press freedom.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Society

195 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2012

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although it gives some interesting perspectives, this book relies too much on silly sleights of hand to progress its argument, constructs which crumble the moment you stop to think about them. It's also written in an arrogant tone which is wearing - sometimes sneering and often perverse. A pamphlet that got out of control - so very repetitive.

[Teddy Dodger · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are many good books to be written about the nuanced intersection of privacy (the American 4th amendment) and liberty of the press (the American 1st amendment). This is not one of them, instead it just reheats old arguments and cliches I could have found in any Spiked column. A waste of time even if you agree with the author's position.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent defense of press freedom. Every journalist and editor should read this.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a sobering perspective for anyone with a strong opinion about the Leveson Inquiry. Probably the strongest anti-Leveson piece of literature you're likely to find. However, as others have pointed out, logical sleights-of-hand are not in short supply.

Regardless, it's a crucial lesser-known read for anyone looking to broaden their understanding of the 2011 Hacking Scandal and its impact on newspaper journalism.