LETTER: Don't shackle the free press

The freedom of the press to carry out serious investigative journalism is under imminent threat at both national and local levels.
Your lettersYour letters
Your letters

In recent years, we have locally benefited from the excellent reporting in this newspaper of many contentious topics. These include the botched West of Horsham Developer Agreements (S106) with not only woeful Affordable Housing volumes but also the underfunding of infrastructure there by some £15m; the initial attempt to demolish and not replace the Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre facilities after a bogus report conveniently declared it surplus to requirement; and the Hobsons Choice consultation on the massive North of Horsham development apparently pre-determined politically rather than being democratically debated in the council chamber. There are many others.

Nationally we can all doubtless remember the Daily Telegraph exposure of the MPs’ expenses scandal.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Government are currently consulting on proposals which could in future inhibit the press in airing such ‘hot topics’ and delving into them (Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013).

If you are concerned about this and want to keep the press free from political control and interference then please access www.freethepress.co.uk and have your say. But hurry, you only have until 10th January to respond and help maintain the cleansing spotlight of ‘unshackled reporting’ that is necessary for us to hold the ‘establishment’ (at all levels) to account.

Paul Kornycky

Cox Green Rudgwick

__

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make our website your homepage at www.wscountytimes.co.uk

2 Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wscountytimes

3 Follow us on Twitter @wscountytimes

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

The County Times – always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.

Related topics: