Is this the end of the Press Complaints Commission?

[Wildcat]

It looks like Richard Desmond will be withdrawing the Star and Express from the Press Complaints Commission.

 

Is this good?

 

Rather than weakening self-regulation, the absence of the Daily Star could strengthen it considerably. The newspaper has not just frequently got things wrong and shown scant regard for getting them right. It does so in sensationalist terms with apologies always less prominent than the original article. It does not make clear how to complain about articles in its newspaper and in our experience, does not respond to complaints from readers.

http://pccwatch.co.uk/why-the-pcc-would-be-better-off-without-the-daily-star/

 

Or will it make no difference, since it was just a fig-leaf to hide the poor and biased journalism we have grown to expect?

 

At present, there is an appearance of regulation, since all national newspapers are signed up to the PCC code, and all co-operate with the PCC's investigations when required to do so; they even go so far as to print the required adjudications in the event of them ever being found to have done anything wrong. But if Desmond's newspapers withdraw, the PCC will start to look even more like the wooden frontier town in Blazing Saddles. It won't be long before people start to realise what's going on.

http://enemiesofreason.co.uk/2010/12/13/is-the-pcc-doomed/

[chem1st]

Tits and house price rises, respectively.