RESPECTFUL SUGGESTION TO COMMUNICATORS. COULD YOU PLEASE REFRAIN FROM PLACING YOUR MEDIA RELEASES WITHIN FRAMES. THANKS, BILL HEANEY
Society criticises firearms anonymity plan
The Executive Director of the Society of Editors has described plans by the government to grant anonymity to police firearms officers who shoot suspects as “deeply concerning”. The comments come after the Home Secretary announced yesterday (Thursday 23 April) that she would pursue legislation that would introduce a presumption of anonymity for firearms officers facing criminal proceedings following police shootings, up until the point of conviction. The government’s planned amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill comes despite the Society having written to the Home Secretary in October 2024 setting out its concerns with the proposals which followed the acquittal last year of Metropolitan Police Service firearms officer Sergeant Martyn Blake following the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba in September 2022.
Channel 4 News has announced the appointment of Anushka Asthana as its new US Editor. Asthana, a board member of the Society of Editors and current Deputy Political Editor at ITV, will be based in Washington, where she will lead the broadcaster’s coverage of American politics and current affairs across its platforms.
Conference highlights A highlights video from last month’s Society Future of News conference has now been added to the Society’s website. The video, which can also be viewed on our YouTube channel, relives some of the keynote addresses and panel discussions from the day.
The Guardian’s formal Editorial Legal Director Gill Phillips has said that the UK’s contempt of court laws are in urgent need of reform for the digital age. Writing in Index on Censorship earlier this month, Phillips said that issues that arose in the wake of the Southport stabbings was just one of the reasons why contempt laws should be reviewed.
