Leveson Inquiry

The Leveson Inquiry was never a good idea. Rupert Murdoch's employees broke the law. The issue isn't journalists failing to maintain professional standards. Licensing is not the solution. You don't get rid of Sweeney Todd by licensing barbers. You arrest him.

The Leveson Inquiry will likely recommend statutory regulation of journalism. This is tantamount to the reintroducing the Licensing of the Press Act 1662. In short, journalists, or some subset of journalists, will become licensed professionals.

Hugh Grant points out that doctors, dentists, and the BBC are perfectly fine with being regulated. Of course they are. Licensure decreases competition. What concerns is how licensed professions develop guild-like mentalities.

Right now Leveson's intent is to regulate only newspapers. But how long will that last? No doubt his proposed regulator will, over time, spread its tentacles.

The exact form licensure will take is uncertain. Who will be required to obtain a license: individual journalists or newspapers? I suspect newspapers. There is talk about establishing a regulatory entity for pre-vetting controversial stories.

So much for free press and enterprise. Last week's Spectator led with the issue.