CONTENTS
Preface = xiii
Chapter one - the contest = 1
Chapter two - regulators = 10
Too many and none = 10
BBC governors = 11
Independent Television Commission = 13
Radio Authority = 16
Welsh Authority = 18
Press Complaints Commission = 20
Broadcasting Complaints Commission = 23
Broadcasting Standards Council = 26
Chapter three - editorial values = 28
news = 28
editing = 29
agenda-setting = 30
public interest = 31
independence = 33
powerful interests = 38
impartiality = 39
balance = 44
objectivity = 45
newspaper code of practice = 47
straight dealing = 49
accuracy = 52
good news, bad news = 54
Birtism = 55
identification = 56
portrayal = 58
political correctness = 60
journalese = 61
outside interests = 64
payments = 66
personal views = 67
personal view programmes = 67
advertising = 68
plugging products = 69
industry and business = 70
specialists = 71
library material = 72
reconstructions = 73
news access = 74
referral = 76
anticipation = 77
independent producers = 77
cable programmes = 78
satellite programmes = 78
Chapter four - trouble spots = 81
privacy = 81
confidential sources = 86
off-the-record = 90
crime = 92
crime figures = 94
dealing with criminal = 97
arrests = 98
Animal Liberation Front = 99
Bombs and bomb warnings = 101
bomb hoaxes = 102
docu-drama = 102
obituaries = 104
opinion polls = 105
phone-in polls = 107
paramilitaries = 108
Police Federation = 111
requests for material = 112
sexual offences = 115
statistics = 116
trade names = 118
Chapter five - violent events = 119
effects of violence = 119
terrorism = 122
hijacks = 126
riots = 128
copycat behaviour = 128
suicides = 131
accidents and disasters = 132
military action = 134
Chapter six - special treatment = 136
anonymity = 136
jigsaw identification = 139
emergencies = 141
blackouts = 142
contamination scares = 143
sieges = 145
kidnaps = 146
conditions = 147
deals = 150
previews = 151
embargoes = 154
Chapter seven - disputed practices = 156
journalistic licence = 156
journalistic trickery = 157
secret recording = 160
doorstepping = 162
eavesdropping = 163
lobby journalism = 164
conflicts of interest = 166
freebies = 168
Chapter eight - politics = 170
interviewing = 170
government bias = 174
dealing with government = 175
ministers = 176
elections = 177
Representation of the People Act = 184
parliament = 187
politicians = 189
political parties = 190
Conservative party = 191
Labour party = 194
Liberal Democrats = 198
nationalists = 201
political labels = 203
spin doctors = 204
stop-watch editing = 205
Chapter nine - state interests = 207
censorship = 207
Da-Notices = 212
official secrets = 214
national security = 216
war = 217
Northern Ireland Ban = 223
freedom of information = 229
Chapter ten - the public = 232
viewers, listeners and readers = 232
broadcasting councils = 235
accountability = 236
access = 238
phone-ins = 240
consumer journalism = 241
correspondence = 244
complaints = 245
corrections = 246
right of reply = 248
apologies = 249
Chapter eleven - social values = 250
minorities = 250
racism = 252
sexism = 253
disabilities = 255
children = 256
animal rights = 257
names = 258
obscenity = 260
offence and outrage = 261
charity appeals = 262
hypnosis = 263
Chapter twelve - regional values = 264
Scotland = 264
Northern Ireland = 265
Ireland = 268
The North = 269
Scilly Isles = 270
Chapter thirteen - the law = 271
evasion and default = 271
lawyers and legal referral = 272
contempt of court = 273
defamation = 281
confidentiality = 283
court reporting = 284
court reporting : court orders = 285
court reporting : titles = 288
court reporting : wild allegations = 289
Paying witnessess = 291
Index = 296
