Journalistic freedom

On the one hand...

The BBC is now (at long last) prepared to describe the Muslim preacher Abu Qatada as an 'Islamic extremist' [here]
It's good to know that the Corporation can listen to public criticism.

And on the other...

The Sun newspaper has done much in its inimitable and sometimes entertaining way to lower the tone of modern British life, and no one would disagree with the premise that those who illegally hack into others' telephone and email messages should pay the appropriate penalty in the courts, but today's reports of massive dawn raids by the police on the homes and families of journalists point to a worrying trend in a free society [here] In today's economic and political climate who would benefit from a fearful and state-regulated press?

But in what has become a tabloid culture, overreaction is clearly the name of the game.