The Press And Regulation

During the 17th century, many forms of publication told both news and rumours. Such publications include pamphlets, posters and ballads.
It was not until later that news periodicals emerged, being published in weekly intervals - Johann Carolus' Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien is regarded the first news periodical: published in Strassburg in 1605.

The Court Of Star Chamber (an English court of law) banned all news formats considered 'news books' in 1632, after complaints from Spanish and Austrian diplomats argued that coverage of the Thirty Years war had been bias in its authenticity.
Rights to print were strictly controlled in England in the 17th Century; probably the reason for the first newspaper in English was printed in Amsterdam in 1620.
This high level of control over printing did ease however after the Star Chamber ended in 1641.

The 17th for Britain in terms of its printed media was influential. The demand for news escalated as a result of The Civil War. News-pamphlets and books reported such events but did not provide the independent viewpoint expected of newspapers today; instead printing news that often supported one side or the other.
Publications including the London Gazette came about during time of The Licensing Act of 1662, followed by an increasing number of titles after the Acts lapse.

It was not until the aftermath or the Second World War that a Royal Commission on the Press was established. The start of the modern system of press regulation.
In 1949 recommendations for the behaviour of the print media - ranging from conditions of employment, training, issues with ownership and promoting the interests of the consumers - to be governed were formed.

A number of authoritative rulings on press freedom and published guidance booklets; brought out by the Press Council in the late 60's early 70's were the first activist movements seen by the government.
The Press Council was heavily criticized in the 80's and lost the confidence of many in the media industry. Tabloids used unethical journalism and intrusions in news that they published.