An open letter to the Press Complaints Commission

This is an email which I have already sent to the Press Complaints Commission regarding today’s article on the Daily Mail website by Richard Littlejohn. I’m certainly not the only person to be outraged by it – if you haven’t read it yet, feel free to use the link below:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1368594/Japanese-earthquake-tsunami-My-wifes-PoW-grandad-wouldnt-mark-minutes-silence.html

“First and foremost, the article itself is an utter disgrace to any reasonable person and is a detriment to the progress of the human race. I understand that technically Richard Littlejohn’s article doesn’t breach any of the points within the PCC Code of Practice. Now, I would like to cite a paragraph from your Q&A to support my complaint.

“Advertising billboards (and to a lesser extent television programmes, for example), contain information disseminated on a very wide scale, the consumption of which cannot necessarily be controlled. As anyone can look at an advert, it is necessary to ensure that all advertisements do not break basic standards of decency and taste. On the other hand, newspapers are actively purchased and therefore need not be subject to the same restrictions.”

In this case you are quite incorrect. You need to update the Code to reflect the fact that articles are now disseminated online and are arguably as visible, if not more visible, than television adverts and advertising billboards. I did not buy the Daily Mail today and yet I have been exposed to this filth. The internet falls under the category of “cannot necessarily be controlled” with regard to consumption and so, as the Press Complaints Commission, your jurisdiction must also extend to these newspapers’ websites. After all, you list “online” as an option when complaining and invite people to provide a link, so it quite clearly does.

I understand that the PCC cannot be a moral arbiter but you simply have to accept that drafting a version of the Code of Practice that only covers the printed press is no longer appropriate. Bigots like Richard Littlejohn should be no more able to freely post horrendous, racist articles on the internet than a motor vehicle company should be able to produce an advert that says, “Japan’s fucked, why not buy a British car instead?”

You simply have to see that this is true, and take steps to do something about it. Do a survey if you like. I don’t pretend to know what the majority of people want, but it’s about time you took the opportunity to find out.”