Demise of 'kiss and tell' stories due to the Leveson Inquiry, says Roy Greenslade
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Tabloid newspapers have stopped writing “kiss and tell” stories in the wake of the setting up of the Leveson Inquiry, a former editor has suggested.
Roy Greenslade, an academic and ex-editor of the Daily Mirror, said "kiss and tell" stories had "virtually disappeared" since the inquiry was set up.
He suggested that the disappearance of such stories was one "positive effect" the inquiry was having.
Professor Greenslade told inquiry chairman Lord Justice Leveson: "Since July last year, kiss and tell stories have virtually disappeared."
In a written statement to the inquiry, Professor Greenslade referred to stories about "a married footballer" who "committed adultery".
He said some newspapers would argue that denying journalists the right to obtain "material interesting to the public" was a "denial of press freedom".
"I accept that all newspapers wish to inform society about itself; all seek to hold power to account; and all also want to entertain," said Professor Greenslade in the statement.
"But there are wide differences in the way that papers balance those three functions.
"Papers that prefer to entertain rather than inform, for example, will argue that they have a right to publish a preponderance of material interesting to the public and that it is a denial of press freedom to deny them from obtaining it.
"If it means intruding into the privacy of a married footballer in order to show that he has committed adultery, then so be it.
"The paper is therefore 'preventing the public from being misled'."
PA
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments