McAlpine 'to take legal action' over abuse claims

http://www.richardwebster.net/print/xfileon4.htm

There can certainly be no doubt that the North Wales saga, as related by a succession of journalists in the 1990s (including not only Angus Stickler and Nick Davies, but also Dean Nelson and Paul Foot) did indeed provide a truly fantastic story. The problem appears to be that the appeal of the story as fantasy, and as a credible modern version of the ancient apocalyptic battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil, appears to have overtoppled normal journalistic scepticism. As a result individual writers found themselves simply unable sceptically to interrogate the narrative under whose spell they had fallen.

Just as seventeenth-century clerics enthusiastically calculated the day of the coming of the Lord by attempting to decipher the number of the Beast, so twentieth- and twenty-first century journalists have frequently become engrossed in attempts to estimate the size and evilness of paedophile rings (or satanic covens practising ritual abuse) which have no more real existence than the Beast itself.

So long as we continue to delude ourselves with one of the central myths of modern rationalism – namely that the susceptibility of highly educated and intelligent people to irrational apocalyptic fantasies belongs only to the remote historical past – then just so long is it likely that even hard-headed journalists will continue to fall victim to such fantasies.

This is not a passing danger. It is, on the evidence which is now before us, likely to be a recurrent one. It is one that editors, whether they work for newspapers, for the BBC or for any other part of the media, need to be continually aware of.

=============

That was written nearly ten years ago. Pity the media hadn't taken heed.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/rupertmyers/100188869/the-newsnight-paedophile-fiasco-this-could-make-it-more-difficult-to-prosecute-sex-offenders/

The Newsnight paedophile fiasco: this could make it more difficult to prosecute sex offenders

By Rupert Myers Politics Last updated: November 9th, 2012

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. You probably think that Mark Twain said that. Google it and the internet will tell you that it was Twain, but ironically he didn’t. This is true, as far as I can tell from something I found on the internet.
Wherever the rabbit hole is taking us with this ever-worsening Newsnight/paedophile story, one thing is clear: people have been saying things which they don’t know to be true, and there are at least three serious consequences to this.
The first and least worrying aspect is that people will be sued. Sally Bercow and George Monbiot are just two of the figures whose injudicious mention of the (wholly innocent) Lord McAlpine’s name may see them receiving letters before action in defamation proceedings. Innuendo may be a slightly trickier form of libel case to win, but it is by no means impossible. Attention-seeking has always been Mrs Bercow’s Achilles’ heel, and amid the febrile atmosphere on Twitter this posting steers perilously close to the wind: “Why is Lord McAlpine trending? *innocent face*” How lawyers intend to draft proceedings against Newsnight is more problematic, but I’m sure that there are libel silks willing to give it a good try.
The second and more concerning dimension is the damage done to Lord McAlpine and others: we have allowed the internet to become a modern crucible for reputations. Every elevation of a tweet from the status of unsourced gossip to the status of fact has encouraged this. We are all to blame when we forget that the internet is a place of fabrication and false identities. For some time now the traditional media have complained that they have one hand tied behind their back when competing with online sources of data, that they need to be able to broadcast what is freely available online. Every time credence is given to gossip scraped from social media, from inviting unverifiable tweets from audience members right the way through to handing the prime minister a list of names copy-pasted from the internet the media feed the very thing that challenges them. We should not be saying that all the juiciest details can be found online, but that too much of the internet is the domain of untruth and ephemera, a digital toilet cubicle wall. The media’s unique selling point should be that it isn’t what it now risks becoming.
The third and most horrifying aspect of this story is the harm that it may do to the arrest and prosecution of sex offenders, both because of the distressing and possibly prejudicial public drama which plays out with every allegation and because every false online smear is a cry of “wolf”.
If you find yourself in possession of any information which may lead to the prosecution of a paedophile, inform the police. It does not get more straightforward than that. If you tweet a joke, a piece of innuendo, or even retweet the statement of another individual you face the serious prospect of being sued.

-----------------

People here said from the start of this that child protection was going to be damaged; I doubt if it gives anyone much pleasure to be proven right.

What is this supposed to mean?

http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/11/10/statement-from-trustees-of-the-bureau-of-investigative-journalism/

The following statement has been made by the Trustees of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism:



“The Bureau of Investigative Journalism was established to apply the highest standards of investigative and fact-based journalism in the public interest. During its first three years, the Bureau has won a number of major awards for its journalism and built a reputation for quality and the avoidance of sensationalism. The governing Trust of The Bureau does not endorse any material or output that fails to meet these standards.

“The Bureau was named as a contributor to the broadcast of a BBC Newsnight programme on November 2 on child abuse in North Wales. The Trustees are appalled at what appears to be a breach of its standards. To the extent that the principles of The Bureau have been ignored by an involvement in this story, remedial action will be taken against those responsible. The Trustees must ensure that due process is applied and are establishing the key facts.”





James Lee (Chairman) on behalf of The Trust.

=============

Who wrote that? The Pravda staff after Stalin has brushed some disgraced lackey out of the history books?

The Newsnight fiasco that may topple the BBC director general
The journalist, the Oxford Union, and the 'scoop' that a simple check would have exposed as a reheated false rumour

Full, long story at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/nov/10/newsnight-mcalpine-scoop-rumour

How Sally Bercow pointed the finger at Lord McAlpine on Twitter as man falsely accused by botched Newsnight investigation as a paedophile
Sally Bercow took to Twitter to speculate on the identity of the unnamed child abuser featured in a Newsnight investigation
Guardian writer and green activist George Monbiot also mentioned Lord McAlpine's name in a Tweet
Lawyers acting on behalf of Lord McAlpine today refused to rule out taking legal action against the pair


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2231288/Sally-Bercow-tried-Lord-McAlpine-man-falsely-accused-botched-Newsnight-investigation.html#ixzz2BvpQf0fT
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Bennett will be in good company if His Lordship decides to have a word with him about what he was tweeting.

Looks like the guns are swinging round onto Watson:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2231560/BBC-crisis-Child-abuse-rumours-fuelled-zealot-loathes-Tories.html

Watson is a very nasty piece of work. He's a fanatical anti-Tory warmonger, he turns anything he can into a Tory conspiracy. I thinks he is either loathed or tolerated (just) by most Labor MPs but not liked. LL

I had totally forgotten the carry-on over him, his expenses, and the M & S pizza, LL

Boris wades in:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/borisjohnson/9671346/BBC-investigation-Smearing-an-innocent-mans-name-is-the-real-tragedy-here.html

bb1 wrote:Boris wades in:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/borisjohnson/9671346/BBC-investigation-Smearing-an-innocent-mans-name-is-the-real-tragedy-here.html

Very succinct and to the point, pure Boris! I hope his comments are taken to heart. LL

Lord McAlpine vows to go after Twitter users who called him a paedophile as he 'agrees taxpayer-funded payout over Newsnight slur'
Lord McAlpine is close to agreeing a financial settlement with BBC after botched Newsnight report
His legal team has a record of everyone who tweeted or retweeted his name and plan to pursue them through the courts
'We know who you are and what you have done,' solicitor Andrew Reid said
Sally Bercow is among the people who named him on Twitter and then was forced to apologise
ITV's This Morning may be sued after Phillip Schofield handed the PM a card of alleged paedophiles he found online, which was picked up by a camera


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233240/Lord-McAlpine-vows-Twitter-users-called-paedophile-agrees-taxpayer-funded-payout-Newsnight-slur.html#ixzz2CHalvjUK
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His legal team has a record of everyone who tweeted or retweeted his name and plan to pursue them through the courts

Dear me! Wonder if Bennett still thinks it's big and clever to accuse people of heinous crimes?

McAlpine's team has said anyone who made allegations on social media must contact them and apologise or face a legal battle.
Solicitor Andrew Reid said: 'We know who you are and what you have done. It's easier to come forward and see us and apologise and arrange to settle with us because, in the long run, this is the cheapest and best way to bring this matter to an end.’


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233240/Lord-McAlpine-vows-Twitter-users-called-paedophile-agrees-taxpayer-funded-payout-Newsnight-slur.html#ixzz2CHd6CYf2
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Bennett seen that yet?

Do you think he would apologize? He is very stubborn......

He'd do his usual - think he is being awfully clever and that no-one notices when he repeats the original falsehoods in his 'apology'.

Of course, Bonny. He forgets that many people are far more clever than him including Judges etc.

Gael ‏@GaeMar01
We, the UK licence fee payers, want @BBCtrust to take Lord McAlpine to court. Do NOT pay him libel. #McCann #savile #bbc

No, 'we' don't - why the Hell should yet more money be handed over to lawyers because of this shambles.

Media hysteria and false allegations are the very last thing genuine victims of child abuse need, which is one of the reasons I am so disgusted by this.

If Gael ‏@GaeMar01 wants to take him to court and pay for the whole shebang, then s/he is free to go ahead.

Saner people would not.

Phillip Schofield was today accused of 'destroying' Tory peer Lord McAlpine's reputation and 'embarrassing' the Prime Minister as he was disciplined by ITV for his paedophile TV blunder.
Lord McAlpine's lawyer Andrew Reid made a furious attack on the presenter and confirmed they will sue his employer after ambushing David Cameron with a list of alleged child abusers in front of millions.
He also demanded an official apology from Sally Bercow after she joined a Twitter frenzy, confirming they will seek damages from her and anyone else who called his client a paedophile online.
Mr Schofield was left embarrassed and later issued a grovelling apology after a 'misjudged camera angle' meant some of the names, put together after he searched the internet, could have been seen by viewers.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233286/Phillip-Schofield-disciplined-ITV-ambushed-David-Cameron-live-TV-list-alleged-Tory-child-abusers.html#ixzz2CJRYElos
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I didn't see it, I don't like that sort of daytime 'couch' TV, but anyone with Sky+HD who was watching could almost certainly have made out the names he'd got off the internet.

I cannot imagine what Schofield thought he was doing; he's been in TV long enough to know better.

Also, I am sure he is aware of some of the nasty, untrue stuff about him there is on the internet - yet he handed his 'internet list' over to Cameron, on camera? Madness.

I do not buy his sorry excuses either, Bonny. What he did was inexcusable.

GULPS! Sally Bercow Tweets her shock as she is hit with legal action by Lord McAlpine - as wronged peer confirms he will sue all his Twitter abusers and ITV
Speaker's wife is first to be sent legal letter after internet frenzy
'I'd better get some legal advice. Maintain was not a libellous tweet,' she said
Lawyers warn ANYONE who named McAlpine on Twitter will be sued
ITV also faces legal action after paedophile blunder by Phillip Schofield
He handed list of names to prime minister found 'after cursory glance' online


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233286/Phillip-Schofield-disciplined-ITV-ambushed-David-Cameron-live-TV-list-alleged-Tory-child-abusers.html#ixzz2CJrpcO8q
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So what is the stupid creature doing? Yup, she's tweeting about it.

Hope Bennett is reading this:

Mr Reid confirmed there was a 'very long list' of people they planned to contact, including 'other broadcasters' and 'well known' tweeters like Sally Bercow.
'I would say Mrs Bercow would be quite well known. She hasn't yet been in touch and apologised. I am most surprised that she hasn't done so. Hopefully she will and will reach an arrangement with us because we're listening. We would rather do that because it saves a lot of time and cost for them'.
When asked if McAlpine will sue if she does not get in touch, Mr Reid said: 'She would have left us with no choice.'

He also warned that other tweeters, even those who deleted their accounts or messages, will be contacted so should come forward.

He added that it was time to clamp down on Twitter, which allowed people to say 'vile, disgusting' things.
'We have been inundated by the public who have wanted us to deal with this problem of Twitter, and have encouraged and in some cases have actually offered us funds.
'Twitter is not a place where you can gossip and say the nastiest things possible with impunity,' he said.
'We've been watching people who have been taking down what they put on Twitter. What they don't seem to understand is that once it's there, you can't take it down and what's more we really have all the information,' he said.
'Not only do we have it, but we have managed to find a couple of firms of experts who are able to produce the pre-tweets, the post-tweets, the effect of the tweets and the re-tweets.
'So what starts as a sort of maybe one (recipient) ends up as 100,000 or more in some cases.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233286/Phillip-Schofield-disciplined-ITV-ambushed-David-Cameron-live-TV-list-alleged-Tory-child-abusers.html#ixzz2CJsQOmTM
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It was going to happen sooner or later, this was intensely vile what happened to the poor man. He is doing the right thing.