Free press must stay (From York Press)

Free press must stay

10:21am Friday 7th December 2012 in Letters By Reader's letter

APPARENTLY a law to shackle the press is illegal. After the Leveson Report, a small number of people (many of them celebrities) want censorship of the press introduced.

Leveson highlighted how very private emails, etc, concerning the lives of these celebrities were used by certain newspapers – a deplorable practice, indeed.

It is understandable, following such revelations, why these celebrities are backing press censorship.

However, this would definitely be a step too far. Could recent history be repeating itself? Press censorship and disapproval of political parties happened in the not too far distant past.

Where did newspaper gagging and, ultimately, control of the broadcasting happen? Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler.

Doubtless many will ridicule this comparison, but our media is the only way we can know what is happening in our country and around the world.

Media censorship is an extremely powerful weapon toward “bending” the will and, ultimately, the way the populace of a country will “think” of their politicians.

Press-censoring must never be part of our laws.

Philip Roe, Roman Avenue South, Stamford Bridge, York.