Caroline’s Law: Mass complaint

Caroline Flack’s death has thrown relentless newspaper harassment into the spotlight. [1] But it’s not just famous people, ordinary people are targets of harassment and intrusive bullying from the press too. [2] And right now, nothing is being done to stop it.

IPSO – the official regulator of newspapers – has the power to hold these papers to account. [3] But they rarely do. So the press gets away with harassing and bullying whoever they like – from the survivors of Grenfell to Caroline Flack. [4]

Together, we can make sure it doesn’t happen again. Here’s the plan: we’ll submit a mass complaint to IPSO. A couple of stories alone won’t catch their attention. But hundreds of stories, backed by a huge open letter calling on them to take these complaints seriously, will be impossible to ignore.

There’s two ways you can get involved. If you’ve experienced press harassment will you share your experience with us to include in the complaint? Just hit the button to fill out a quick survey. If not, will you sign an open letter to IPSO, demanding they take these complaints seriously?

If you’ve not experienced it yourself, it can be surprising how intensely many people end up targeted by the press. Like the survivors of Grenfell tower – who were hounded relentlessly by the tabloid papers, so much so that the police suggested one family enter witness protection. [5] Or the families of the victims of the Manchester bombings , who were harrassed by sections of the press in the wake of the attack. [6] And these are just a few examples.

If you’re experiencing press harassment, it can feel like you’re going through the ordeal alone. Like nobody understands what you’re going through. But since last week hundreds of us have been sharing stories of newspaper harassment with the government. And nearly a million people have spoken up in the wake of Caroline’s death. [7] Together we’re powerful – and we can take the press on.

So, will you help make this the most powerful complaint yet? If you’ve experienced harassment from the papers will you share your experience with us so we can submit it to IPSO along with hundreds of others? And if not, will you sign an open letter to IPSO to take these complaints seriously?

If you or someone you know are feeling suicidal please call the Samaritan helpline on 116 123. Or visit https://www.samaritans.org/ for more information.

NOTES:
[1] BBC: Caroline Flack death: Will people now ‘be kind’ in the media and online?:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51542688
[2] Hacking Inquiry: Thrown to the Wolves:
https://hackinginquiry.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/ThrowntotheWolves.pdf
[3] Independent Press Standards Organisation:
https://www.ipso.co.uk/
[4] See note 2
[5] The Guardian: Grenfell Tower inquiry: kitchen fire resident ‘did nothing wrong’:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/06/grenfell-tower-inqury-kitchen-fire-resident-behailu-kebede-media-scapegoat
[6] The Kerslake Report: An independent review into the preparedness for, and emergency response to, the Manchester Arena attack on 22nd May 2017 [p55]:
https://www.jesip.org.uk/uploads/media/Documents%20Products/Kerslake_Report_Manchester_Are.pdf
[7] 38 Degrees petition: Caroline Flack’s Law:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/flacks-law