If Leveson wants to know who misled the press, he should ask a policeman

The Observer

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/feb/26/leveson-press-policeman-misled-peter-preston?newsfeed=true

If Leveson wants to know who misled the press, he should ask a policeman

The media came in for some tough, if uneven, treatment in the first phase of the inquiry into ethics and practice. Will the same now happen to the forces of law and order?

Peter Preston
The Observer, Sunday 26 February 2012


The police have steered the media off course on several major stories, including Madeleine McCann., Joanna Yeates and phone-hacking Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

School's back! Or rather, Lord Justice Leveson and his fine collection of silks are back from their between-module break. After roughing up the press in general, we're now promised particular attention to what goes wrong when coppers and hacks consort. And yet, already, you can sense a certain ennui in high political places as this four-ring legal circus grinds on.

Take one example. Michael Gove, the education secretary, warned the other day against the clear danger that "we may see judges, celebrities and the establishment … imposing either soft or hard regulation on what should be the maximum of freedom of expression and the maximum of freedom of speech". Well, he used to be a columnist on the Times and he still reveres Rupert, critics say. No great surprises there, then?

Except that, among many other things, Gove is a very influential member of the government and notably close to David Cameron. He speaks out clearly enough, but never off-message. And there is, indeed, some anxiety about the rather bewildering kid-gloves-and-iron-fist strategy of module one, featuring every real or alleged press bungle of the last 20 years in no particular order.

Will that scattergun approach still be there in the second phase? Consider… We know who revealed the name of Chris Jefferies, the teacher arrested then cleared of killing Joanna Yeates: the police. We know who quietly briefed reporters: the police. We know who misled journalists covering the Madeleine McCann disappearance: the Portuguese police. We know who told the Press Complaints Commission that phone hacking was much overblown: the police.

The police, as some of them admit, have a lot to answer for. Nor should we be served up too much about temptation and bribery – as though this consisted only of evil journalists traducing the forces of rectitude. For consider the only modus operandi that makes sense. Surely you don't just wander down to your local policeman's pub waving brown envelopes? That would be an insane risk.

No: you wait until Inspector Bung starts dropping hints. You wait until you're offered something worth paying for, open palm extended. The inspector moves; you dutifully shake out a bundle of fivers. And nobody intrinsically doubts who's corrupting who.

Thanks Annabel.......will Leveson ever get to learn that the Article in the NOTW which earned the McCanns £220,000 had already been posted in the
Portugese Press yet not a word of reproach from the McCanns at the time.????

The Auther of the Article is tending to blame the Police more than the Reporters, probably because he is an ex Journalist himself.

This Enquiry, costing millions of £'s at a time when Britain is broke, is another example of a waste of tax payers money.

We know who misled journalists covering the Madeleine McCann disappearance: the Portuguese police.

Now is that a FACT?? or Tittle-Tattle? I think the answer might well be: the police and the CID (Clarry in Disguise) - dont forget our boys were out there and are just as well placed to have lunch over a bottle of wine with their journalist friends than anyone.

I understand that the McCanns have successfully completed the first rounds. It looks as if they might be through to the final, but they may have stiff competition from other favorites for the title of 'Victim of the year'.
Well, let's see who else is through to the final....

We know who misled journalists covering the Madeleine McCann disappearance: the Portuguese police. We know who told the Press Complaints Commission that phone hacking was much overblown: the police.

Yes thats correct "The Police" but not the Portuguese Police thats for sure, so which Police does that leave.....The British Police.....I do hope that Scotland Yard are taking note that fingers are been pointed at the Police in the Madeleine MaCann case, and they are been questioned.

SY must relise that the chances of them covering this case up and getting away with it, are so small, it can't be worth doing it, also any cover up/whitwash means the chances of it been found out are high, SY must know that the Police have never been so highly scrutinised as they are now.