Regulating a Free Press

As the UK forms a regulatory body to curb the excesses of print journalists, we look at the future of the British press.

It’s the scandal that ripped through Rupert Murdoch’s media empire and the British political establishment. And this week, it ended in the creation of a regulatory body designed to curb the excesses of Britain’s print journalists - the first change to how Britain’s press is checked in more than 300 years.

The new media watchdog comes after a lengthy Leveson inquiry – set up in the wake of the phone hacking scandal – which recommended an independent body backed by legislation.

After months of political battles, Britain’s three main political parties announced on March 18 that Britain’s rambunctious press would now have to contend with a regulator that has the power to impose million pound fines on UK publishers and demand upfront apologies.