Society of Editors boss Bob Satchwell has hit back at a report by a committee of MPs that suggested the organisation failed to co-operate with an investigation into people trafficking.

In a recently-published report, the Home Affairs Committee called on the Society to issue guidelines that newspapers should not accept advertisements for sex encounter establishments.

It also stated that the SoE had declined an invitation to give oral evidence to the committee.

But SoE executive director Mr Satchwell has denied the claim and is now writing a letter of complaint to the committee’s chairman, Labour MP Keith Vaz.

“I am annoyed that he is portraying us as being reluctant to help,” Mr Satchwell told HTFP.

“What we were asked about was whether we could offer any evidence about human trafficking.

“I replied that I am sure if any editor had any direct evidence of human trafficking they would investigate and report it, that they would of course co-operate with the police in uncovering any criminal activity, and that the Newspaper Society had issued guidelines on advertising.

“The last line of my letter said please let me know if we can be of any further assistance. If Mr Vaz had taken me up on that, I might have been able to give him some background information on this issue that could have been of interest to him.”

In its report, the Committee also praised regional publisher Newsquest for its decision to stop accepting the ads in its own titles.

Giving evidence to the committee, Southern Daily Echo editor Ian Murray said this had cost the company more than £200,000 in Hampshire alone.

The committee said in its report: “We welcome Newquest’s decision; and urge other local newspapers to follow that lead and the Society of Editors to issue clear guidelines that newspapers should not accept advertisements for sex encounter establishments.”

The report said there was a clear link between such adverts and the increase in human trafficking.

Comments

BarryJesus (26/05/2009 10:10:53)
I’m appalled that my paper is still carrying these ads.
Of course we know we’re advertising prostitution.
The NS clearly hasn’t done enough – and it isn’t the right body to do something about it as it is not independent of newspapers.
It’s like asking MPs to monitor their own expenses.
There needs to be greater legislation, properly enforced.
How can newspapers call anyone to account when many are still knowingly carrying adverts which could be promoting slavery?
The pathetic ‘guidelines’ many papers have drawn up don’t go far enough and are a clear example of arse-covering.