Stewart Purvis

How far can journalists go 'in crossing the line'?

This paper draws on guidance from Lord Justice Leveson to examine those occasions when journalists can actually break the law 'in the public interest'

Keywords: Leveson, the 'public interest' journalists 'crossing the line'

Note on the contributor

Stewart Purvis's career is probably unique in its range across journalism, management and regulation. A local radio reporter, a regional television presenter and Sunday tabloid freelance while still at university, he was chosen as one of the BBC's first three News Trainees in 1969. He moved to ITN in 1972 where he went on to win Royal Television Society awards for news and documentaries, two BAFTA awards as Editor of Channel Four News and a TV Times award. He became Editor-in-Chief of ITN and then Chief Executive. After he retired from ITN in 2003 he became City University's first Professor of Television Journalism and a Visiting Professor of Broadcast Media at Oxford University. From 2007 to 2010, Professor Purvis was Ofcom's Partner for Content and Standards, effectively the regulator of UK broadcast content, responsible for the implementation of the Ofcom broadcast code and other broadcasting regulation. In 2000, he was made a CBE for services to broadcast journalism, in 2005 he was made an Honorary Doctor of Law by Exeter University and in 2009 he received the Royal Television Society's Gold Medal for an outstanding contribution to television. In September 2013, he was appointed a non-executive director on the board of Channel Four.