The UK’s data protection watchdog has accused several newspaper editors of misrepresenting the nature of the draft code of conduct for journalists.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is currently working with the media industry to develop a journalism code of practice.
Its purpose is to help journalists meet their statutory data protection obligations, but it is designed to support them in the important task of “informing the public and holding those in power accountable.” The ICO said it points out where there are sector-specific carve-outs.
However, an open letter sent by the editor to the government daily telegraph, Times and the daily mail Last week, the code “undermined the very foundations of journalism,” calling the ICO in fact press regulator.
Information Commissioner John Edwards strongly criticized the comments in a blog post this week.
“Our code does not create new laws, it just describes what is required under existing laws. There is already a similar code on what to do and what to do.There is nothing in our code that limits press freedom,” he said.
“As part of our detailed and thorough consultation process, it is misguided and disingenuous to criticize the draft code, which is still under review. We’ve been talking to journalists and media people all along to understand how it applies.”
As such, the latest draft of the code reflects feedback from the media, but will continue to be refined prior to its final publication, Edwards explained.
The Fourth Estate plays an important role in the flourishing of democracy, but by scrutinizing those in power and keeping the public informed, newspapers have in the past been guilty of giving each other too much “scoop.” I was.
This can lead to serious data protection breaches, such as the phone hacking scandal over a decade ago, which ultimately led to government investigations into the media culture, practices and ethics.
