Listening Post - Regulating a free press

It’s the scandal that ripped through Rupert Murdoch’s media empire and the British political establishment. And this week, it ended with the creation of a regulatory body designed to curb the excesses of Britain’s print journalists - the first change to how Britain’s press is checked in more than 300 years.

The new media watchdog comes after a lengthy Leveson inquiry – set up in the wake of the phone hacking scandal – which recommended an independent body backed by legislation.

On our lead story this week, we discuss the future of the British press with Stig Abell, the former director of the Press Complaints Commission; author Dan Hind; Natalie Fenton, a media professor; and Kirsty Hughes, the chief executive, Index on Censorship.