Sarah Murphy writes for the University of Nottingham’s Impact magazine about whether or not the Leveson Inquiry was worth the paper it was printed on:

On 24 July Lord Justice Leveson drew his inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the press to a close, bringing to an end an investigation lasting over one hundred days and involving some of the most high profile individuals within politics, society and the media.

The inquiry is believed to have cost the tax payer almost £3.4 million, with estimates that this total is set to reach £5.6 million. With so much money invested into the investigation, many both within the industry and outside eagerly await Lord Leveson’s report, due to come out at the end of this year. Yet many question the impact that this report will have on the future of the British press. It seems the report has been shelved before Lord Leveson has even put pen to paper.

The problem is that finding an outcome that is deemed acceptable to all parties will be extremely difficult. The phone hacking scandal has demonstrated that there needs to be a change in the system. Self-regulation has not worked, yet to make the industry answerable to any statute of government would irrevocably threaten the freedom of expression inherent within the British press. It all boils down to one simple question: what would we, the general public prefer, to have the press afraid of the politicians or the politicians afraid of the press?

Full article here.