Pressure Groups & medias role in Democracy

Pressure Groups

• Pressure groups campaign for changes in the law or new legislation, influencing public opinion and voting behavior.
• They offer a means for people to participate in democracy and social change outside of political parties.
• They are viewed as essential for democracy by enabling free expression and influencing governments, but are not tolerated in non-democratic countries.
• Affiliations to pressure groups must be declared by MPs when speaking on behalf of the group and payment for promotion must also be declared.
• Insider groups participate in decision-making via committees with ministers, MPs, and civil servants, advisory papers, and sponsoring MPs.
• Outsider groups lobby politicians whose views are often considered.
• Some worry about undue influence from large, wealthy groups that can hire expert parliamentary lobbyists for direct contact with ministers and MPs.

Types of Pressure Groups

• Promotional or single cause groups: promote a specific cause (e.g., Friends of the Earth) and are open to the public.
• Sectional groups: serve only their members (e.g., the National Education Union for teachers and school staff).
• Insider groups: have close ties to the government and are consulted on relevant legislation (e.g., the British Medical Association).
• Outsider groups: take actions that the government may disapprove of, such as civil disobedience (e.g., CND).

Examples of UK Pressure Groups

• UK Uncut
• Suffragettes
• Fathers 4 Justice
• Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)
• Greenpeace
• Outrage
• Stonewall
• English Defence League
• Campaign for Real Ale
• PETA

The Role of the Media in a Democracy

• The media protects public interest against malpractice and creates public awareness.
• It is a "watchdog" that exposes wrongdoing, protects the public, holds those in power accountable, uncovers corruption, advocates for the voiceless, campaigns for the public, reveals vital information, and prevents the spread of misinformation.
• Media outlets free from government interference are vital in a democracy.
• The media informs and influences public opinion and enables discussion and the exchange of varied ideas.
• The media allows the public to monitor those in power.
• The media can influence authority positively by popularizing celebrities, and negatively by creating negative images of authorities.
• Media has uncovered corruption (MP’s expenses scandal, FIFA scandals, doping in sport) and helped to prevent miscarriages of justice (Stephen Lawrence case).
• Newspapers have fallen short on ethics by phone tapping, bribing police, and manipulating reporting (Hillsborough scandal).

Timeline of The Guardian Newspaper

• 1821: First edition published.
• 1919: The Guardian Weekly is launched for international audiences.
• 1976: The Guardian moves to London.
• 1995: The Guardian website is launched.
• 1997-1999: Named Newspaper of the Year three years in a row.
• 2011: Named Newspaper of the Year for its WikiLeaks partnership; becomes a digital-first organization.
• 2018: Relaunched in a tabloid format with redesigned apps and desktop versions.

The Media and UK Society

• The media has legal rights and responsibilities.
• Under the Human Rights Act 1998, UK journalists have freedom of expression to report on and criticize the government without fearing prosecution.
• Legal restrictions include not inciting racial hatred or terrorism, avoiding gross indecency, not interviewing jurors, protecting national security, not naming young people in the criminal justice system, respecting super injunctions and D-Notices, and avoiding reporting on ongoing military operations or violating the Official Secrets Act.
• Social and digital media are difficult to regulate.
• MPs have circumvented super injunctions by making comments under parliamentary privilege which newspapers can then report.

Press Freedom across the World

• Press freedom is the concept that the media should be free from political interference.
• Laws protect individuals from false stories, but restrictions on the press should be limited and stories "in the public interest" are allowed.
• Television must be politically neutral, but newspapers don't need to be.
• China controls the media heavily, banning sites like YouTube and Facebook.
• The Chinese government regulates news broadcasts and print.

Censorship and the Media

• Censorship occurs when material is officially examined and suppressed because it is offensive or a threat to national security.
• Many object to censorship because it interferes with freedom of speech.
• There is growing pressure on social media companies and governments to censor pornography or harmful content.

2018 World Press Freedom Index

• Top 6: 1. Norway, 2. Sweden, 3. Netherlands, 4. Finland, 5. Switzerland, 6. Jamaica.
• The United Kingdom ranked 40th.
• Bottom 5: 176. China, 177. Syria, 178. Turkmenistan, 179. Eritrea, 180. North Korea.

The Leveson Inquiry

• The Leveson Inquiry was a judicial public inquiry into the culture, practices, and ethics of the British press after the News International phone hacking scandal.
• The inquiry determined that newspapers should continue to be self-regulated, the government should not have absolute power over publications, and a new press standards body should be created with a new code of conduct.

After the Leveson Inquiry

• The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was criticized for not taking tough enough action against newspapers.
• The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) was created as a self-regulatory body, and deals with complaints about content in newspapers, magazines, and their websites.
• Not all newspapers are members of IPSO.
• The "Hacked Off" pressure group criticized IPSO for not having strong enough powers to deal with press ethics and conduct.

How Politics Links to the Media

• The media and politicians rely on each other; the media wants the latest stories, while politicians want the media to promote their message.
• Short sound bites or quotes are used.
• News of the World shut down after the phone hacking scandal.

Press Regulation & Right to Privacy

• The media holds people to account in the public interest; however, sometimes journalists unreasonably invade someone’s privacy.
• The Leveson Inquiry followed the News International phone hacking scandal.
• It found the press could be self-regulated, with a new code of conduct.

Milly Dowler Case Study

• The News of the World illegally targeted Milly Dowler and her family, and interfered with the police investigation.
• The government launched an inquiry into phone hacking.

Other Important Information

• Freedom of Information Act: allows access to information about people, businesses, and government.
• Data Protection Act: limits how information stored can be used.