Hugh Grant took part in a debate at Hertford College over the state of the press in Britain.The debate was part of an event entitled ‘The Press We Deserve’, which was held on the afternoon of Sunday 18th November.
The debate was conducted as a response to the ongoing Leveson Inquiry. Lord Justice Leveson is due to report on the “culture, ethics and practices” of the British Press at the end of the month.
Hugh Grant famously appeared at the inquiry, claiming that he had viewed papers such as the News of the World as “harmless fun” until he was “increasingly scandalised” by the “toxic” reporting methods of various newspapers
Grant said that a series of untrue allegations were made against him and described an occasion when his flat had been broken into by journalists.
Rachel Pickering, JCR President at Hertford, felt that it was “good that Hugh chose to defend the rights of the general public to privacy from the media rather than focusing on the negative impact the media has had on his personal life and othe rcelebrities’ lives.”
Alongside Grant, other panel members included the Principals of Hertford and Mansfield Colleges, as well as Paul Connew, the former Editor of the Sunday Mirror and of the News of the World. Bill Heine, a radio presenter for BBC Oxford, chaired the debate.
In a statement to Cherwell, Will Hutton, Principal of Hertford College, stated, “The mood was pro-Leveson and anxious to secure a more genuinely publicly-spirited press.” He also noted that participants were “anxious to guard against risks of state interference with free speech.”
Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, who is currently Principal of Mansfield College, stated, “Everyone is of one view – something has to be done.”
She went on to contest the idea that the issue is clouded by public right to knowledge or freedom of the press. She commented, “I want a vibrant press. I want strong investigative journalism. I took no delight in the closing of News of the World. We need lots of papers covering all sorts of stuff.
‘But feasting on people’s misery after the death of a child or digging up dirt on a dead soldier son is ghoulish and vile. It is about profit at the expense of people.’
A finalist at Hertford said, “Helena Kennedy is just great and it was nice to hear Hugh talking about something he’s obviously really passionate about.”
However, some students seemed more excited by the presence of Hugh Grant at the debate than the issues being discussed. Joy Aston, a first year undergraduate at Hertford, said, “Hugh Grant was extremely exciting, especially when he put his arm around me for the photo, and said that it was ‘nice to meet me ‘and ‘hoped I had a good night’. Also he was a fantastic speaker and the debate was very interesting.”
Kennedy described Hugh Grant’s performance at the debate as “impressive”. Nevertheless, James Harrison, a local publisher who attended the event, felt that the quality of the debate was inconsistent.
He claimed that the debate “seemed to veer from occasionally muffled and indistinct acoustics (and thought processes) to stunningly simple and heartfelt comments that cut through to the heart of the problem and to the solution.
‘Having Hugh Grant up close and at his disarming best was a bit of a bonus!”
After the main debate, Grant had an open conversation with Mr Hutton, with 100 spaces made available for people to attend it.
