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Live webchat with Hugh Grant (!!!) about the Leveson report and press reform, Monday 10 December, 8pm
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We're delighted to announce that sleb-actor-turned-campaigner Hugh Grant (yes it's Hugh ) is joining us for a webchat tonight, Monday, December 10 at 8pm.
Hugh keen to talk to us about the Leveson report and press reform. As you probably know he's been a prominent member of Hacked Off, and before that was best known for his quintessential English gent roles in movies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually.
Hacked Off is an alliance of victims of press abuse, journalists, academics, lawyers and others who successfully campaigned for a public inquiry into the phone hacking scandal.
And now that the inquiry's been held (by Lord Leveson), Hacked Off wants all Leveson's recommendations for press reform implemented.
(This webchat is focused on Leveson, so we hope you'll understand that Hugh will prioritising Qs about that ahead of Qs about his career/personal life/choice of biscuits - although, if there's time, he will do his best to address a few of those too.)
So, join us and Hugh, online at 8pm tonight. If you can't make it then, you can post up advance questions on this thread.
Hi Hugh. I too hate the celebrity culture the way it is today. And think it is absolutely ridiculous, unnecessary and damaging. But i would like to ask you this. What is your opinion on the way people like Dacre and his "newspaper" and other publications who persecute not only yourselves but the people who cant fight back ,either because they cant afford to or are simply too ill. Because of their hate stories towards disabled people on benefits like DLA and ESA disability hate crime is on the rise. I think this was discussed at Leveson but only briefly. I believe there is a link between the hate stories and the way disabled and ill people are now being targeted. They run stories saying that "75% of people are faking it" but the actual figure from the DWP on DLA on this is 0.5% That includes both fraud and error. There is also the way they love to paint the picture of unemployed people as scroungers. They seem to ignore the fact that we are in the biggest recession in living memory. The unemployed are another group they demonize that cant afford to fight back. Easy safe targets. And unfortunately certain sections of the public dont recognize propaganda when they see it. Hence the rise in the hate crimes.
I don't know if you are aware, but Maria Miller came on MN for a webchat a couple of weeks ago and gave the most dismal, patronising and frankly pointless set of answers to intelligent questions that I have ever seen.
Will you please carry on speaking out because she still ain't getting it.
Hi Hugh (waves/blows kiss) Do you think that the celebrities who thrive off media attention however negative ; the big brother types etc should have one set of rules as a whole industry has been borne out of their antics? And evryone else be protected?
darkesteyes I literally hate the Dacre lies on benefit 'scroungers' too. I have a company that works with the very long term unemployed.....and the last 3 years of ramping up this rhetoric about the 'underclass' is finally coming to fruition. Benefits are being slashed for totally minor incidents, everyone is presumed a liar and cheat, and genuinely animals get treated better. I am now, at this moment, seeing first hand more people going homeless, considering suicide and certainly forced into crime. Anyone who says the press from the likes of Dacre is harmless fun/ or worse is fact, is simply a wankering fool. It's actually life and death for some people <sounds dramatic and meant to be emoticon>
Hugh, thanks for speaking up about this. I am wondering when was the actual 'right, that's it' moment? You obviously have to deal with press intrusion a lot given your job, but what was the trigger point in this precise case that led you to speak out about it in the way that you did?
Also can I just say that your dance around No 10 in Love Actually is one of the finest cinematic moments I have ever encountered
Do you have an opinion on the current campaign to get The Sun to stop page 3? It's beginning to get some real momentum behind it and I just presumed that you would have been approached by the founder of No More Page 3 for support, just wondering.
Hello Hugh as a former journalist and having seen the evil side of state presss control how do you balance statute protection against government control? I realise that current editors exercise de facto control (I've heard the phone calls Murdoch makes to his editors), but it's scary stuff when you talk about press control. Can't we simply tighten privacy legislation? regards Coorong.
i have tried to sign for hacked off, unfortunately i'm not in the UK at the moment, do i have to give a Uk postcode or will it be available for other countries someday?
Very interested in your responses. Thank you for coming to do a webchat.
Are you campaigning on these issues purely because you were the result of a tabloid sting showing you to use prostitutes while appearing in the media at public functions with your also-famous girlfriend? Do you think that makes your campaign credible or do you worry that people think "oh he only wants press reform so men like him couldn't be busted with prostitutes when they portray themselves in interviews as loving boyfriends"?
I've always wondered whether the questions over your motivation would bother you.
Hugh as a journalist who has worked for tabloids and women's magazines for over 20 years and managed to get real life and celebrity exclusives while abiding by the PCC code, the thing I find most difficult about the Leveson report recommendations and the Hacked Off campaign is the idea that the new code should be enforceable by law. It's really just a small minority of journalists and media owners who have behaved badly, isn't it? Is a law really necessary to control the bad behaviour of the few? And do you have any faith that newspaper editors and media owners are going to abide by the recommendations they've agreed to support?
Do you think that implementation of Leveson as is could ensure that groups as well as individuals can be protected from constant drip-drip demonisation. Especially as some of the rhetoric comes from within the govt.?
What do you think about the Labour party's suggestion of putting the Lord Chief Justice, head of the judiciary in England and Wales, in charge of overseeing a new self-regulatory, rather than a statutory body? BBC story here
i never rated your films, but now i've heard you speak out about and against the revolting way the press have treated individuals, if i was going to perhaps, well not be faithful to Mr Fountain, i'd put you on the list of prospective shagees
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) is joining us for a webchat tonight, Monday, December 10 at 8pm.
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