Required reading: Tim Luckhurst on the predicament of journalism

An excellent piece by Tim Luckhurst in the Times Higher - Black and white and dead all over? - reviews the current predicament of quality journalism. It sets the phone hacking scandal in context, and includes interesting reflections on the state of the business and the law. Its a useful corrective to what he describes as:

 the glee with which the hacking scandal has been seized upon by politicians in all parties, elite liberal newspapers and several broadcasters.. [an] attitude... informed by ideology and self-interest and, sometimes, intensified by jealousy.

The Other Horse in Town: the joint committee on superinjunctions and privacy

With the focus fixed firmly on phone hacking and the initiation of the Leveson Inquiry it has been easy to overlook the pending Parliamentary inquiry into the first of this year's hoohahs over privacy and super-injunctions. It has not yet been announced when the inquiry will begin, although it is scheduled to report by 29 February 2012.

Progress has been made, however, on the establishment, organisation and membership of the Committee. The Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, announced the intention to set up a Joint Committee to look into the matter on 23 May. The House of Lords then approved a motion establishing a Joint Committee on 27 June. The House of Commons subsequently did likewise on 14 July, at which time the Commons members were also named. The Lords then passed a futher motion appointing the Lords members on 18 July.

Hence, the 26 (!) strong membership of the Joint Committee is as follows:
Mr Ben Bradshaw (Lab)
Mr Robert Buckland (Con)
Philip Davies (Con)
George Eustice (Con)
Paul Farrelly (Lab)
Martin Horwood (LD)
Eric Joyce (Lab)
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (PC)
Penny Mordaunt (Con)
Yasmin Qureshi (Lab)
Ms Gisela Stuart (Lab)
Mr John Whittingdale (Con)
Nadhim Zahawi (Con)
Lord Boateng (Lab)
Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)
Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (LD)
Bishop of Chester
Baroness Corston (Lab)
Lord Dobbs (Con)
Lord Gold (Con)
Lord Harries of Pentregarth (CB)
Lord Hollick (Lab)
Lord Janvrin (CB)
Lord Mawhinney (Con)
Lord Myners (Lab)
Lord Thomas of Gresford (LD)

The Committee itself is to upload its details onto the Joint Select Committee pages on the Parliament website shortly. This will happen once staffing for the committee has been arranged.

Thanks to David Foster of the House of Commons Information Office for collating the above information.