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Superinjunctions and the media

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Rajan Datar | 14:21 UK time, Friday, 3 June 2011

We've received more comments from you regarding promotional trails on the World Service this week.

One listener emailed us to say, "Personally I find the music in the trailer (with the odd exception) to be very fitting to the subject being advertised.... as far as I'm concerned you can keep the music! Thank you for a great radio station!"

Positive feedback is always very welcome here at Over To You!

Another listener welcomed the trails debate, "When I caught the end of a telephone conversation 
regarding a complaint about music jingles accompanying future programmes, I
 found my self so whole heartedly in agreement that I almost cheered!"

This week we address the current issue of Twitter/super-injunctions, and gagging orders on traditional media, when news and other information has already disseminated online.

Does this mean the end of traditional broadcasting for networks such as the World Service?

I interviewed Mark Stephens, media lawyer and broadcaster who's undertaken some of the highest profile cases.

Mark told me, "News, information and social media are now globally based.

"No longer do we have national laws applying only in certain countries, because information flows see no borders. International law requires a more sophisticated approach."

Mark went on to say, "We don't have the same privacy laws in the UK as in North Western Europe.

"If a secrecy injunction/gagging order was granted in France and reported on here in the UK, contempt of court would not be a valid charge as the order was based and originated in France."

Torin Douglas, media correspondent for the Â鶹Éç talked to me about the problems facing journalists when reporting on super-injunctions and gagging orders.

"The law in the UK is now very unclear and very uncertain.

"The government is currently in the process of setting up a committee to see where the law now stands."

But how does this affect the global picture? Torin explained, "Reporting on global injunctions prove different problems because the World Service does not know the details of every particular court case in every particular country, and therefore has to act reasonably.

"The problem is there are so many different laws in so many different parts of the world it's very difficult to police."

So is social media a real threat to traditional media?

Torin disagrees, "As long as they comply to traditional standards, newspapers and broadcast journalism still has a very important part to play."

Thanks for all your comments this week. As ever we'd like to hear your views regarding anything you hear on the World Service.

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the Â鶹Éç World Service and its programmes. Broadcast times can be found by clicking here.

Listen to previous episodes of Over To You

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Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Trailers, I can take or leave them. It's easy enough to switch off (either literally or mentally).
    Unfortunately I can't take or leave this weeks programme. That is the limited and inconvenient broadcast times on air means I'm reduced to listening mainly off line, ie to the podcast (online archive is theoretically possible but not so convenient).
    However, again, no podcast for this weeks broadcast.
    Last time I posted the 2nd June, no podcast and no blog. A day later both appeared (the blog dated 27 May, oh yes!). Now the blog is here so. please, make the podcast available.

  • Comment number 2.

    Please assign an editor to this blog and also make the podcast available online for the 11/12 June episode!

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