Shouldn't all of us be disturbed at the way the Metropolitan Police are handling the investigations about possible wrong-doing at The Sun.
Assigning 170 officers? More than covered the PanAm-Lockerbie investigation, apparently.
Dawn raids (which get leaked to the press!)?
These aren't armed killers or dangerous terrorists - they journalists, for heavens sake.
I don't read The Sun and frankly much of what I have heard about its reporting style I find distasteful but as their former political editor has said, where is the proportionality?
There are killers and muggers and rapists sitting at home tonight and there are 170 less policemen concerned or involved with tracking them down. What's to stop them going out and doing it again - well 170 less officers for a start!
Abu Qatada is about to be released onto our streets and instead of gathering evidence to put him away or get him out of our way, 170 of the police are otherwise engaged.
Incidentally, given that some of the accusations that are floating around, talk of bribes or improper payments to police officers, how can any UK police force really lead the investigation?
Oh, and those other newspapers and TV News smiling so smugly at the fate of The Sun, look to yourselves and your house. Sure that you have never paid a policeman for a lead or a tip? Or bough a civil servant an expensive dinner, to get the low-down on a story? No? Sorry, simply don't believe you.
I do believe that criminal investigations should be pursued. I do believe that journalists should be treated just like anyone else before the law and that includes being presumed innocent until tried and found otherwise.
I have to question why it seems to be the senior people at The Sun that are being arrested. I really can't believe that they were the ones, personally passing over the 'brown envelopes', rather than the actual 'reporter'.
This whole episode leaves me with a sense of unease as to where we might end up as regards 'control' of the media (and yes I mean media and not just the printed press) and I also include social media as being at risk.
Worrying times! And then there is the happenings in Greece!
Assigning 170 officers? More than covered the PanAm-Lockerbie investigation, apparently.
Dawn raids (which get leaked to the press!)?
These aren't armed killers or dangerous terrorists - they journalists, for heavens sake.
I don't read The Sun and frankly much of what I have heard about its reporting style I find distasteful but as their former political editor has said, where is the proportionality?
There are killers and muggers and rapists sitting at home tonight and there are 170 less policemen concerned or involved with tracking them down. What's to stop them going out and doing it again - well 170 less officers for a start!
Abu Qatada is about to be released onto our streets and instead of gathering evidence to put him away or get him out of our way, 170 of the police are otherwise engaged.
Incidentally, given that some of the accusations that are floating around, talk of bribes or improper payments to police officers, how can any UK police force really lead the investigation?
Oh, and those other newspapers and TV News smiling so smugly at the fate of The Sun, look to yourselves and your house. Sure that you have never paid a policeman for a lead or a tip? Or bough a civil servant an expensive dinner, to get the low-down on a story? No? Sorry, simply don't believe you.
I do believe that criminal investigations should be pursued. I do believe that journalists should be treated just like anyone else before the law and that includes being presumed innocent until tried and found otherwise.
I have to question why it seems to be the senior people at The Sun that are being arrested. I really can't believe that they were the ones, personally passing over the 'brown envelopes', rather than the actual 'reporter'.
This whole episode leaves me with a sense of unease as to where we might end up as regards 'control' of the media (and yes I mean media and not just the printed press) and I also include social media as being at risk.
Worrying times! And then there is the happenings in Greece!
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