Tom O'Malley

In this relatively slim volume Tom O'Malley takes on the formidable task of challenging one of the most powerful institutions known to mankind, namely the Catholic Church. Despite the serious nature of the work, he writes in a style that is direct, lucid and eminently readable. His criticisms of the nature and practice of the Church are, above all, reasonable and accessible to all, even those with little or no knowledge of theology. We have here much more than just a critique of the Catholic Church. We also have an exploration of the nature and influence of love, which makes it universal in its appeal, transcending all religious beliefs, reaching out to those who believe that love and not fear should be the basis of our relationship with God. This book deserves to be read by all those who believe that religion still has meaning for mankind.

This text maps the history and current situation of the media in Wales in an accessible manner and contributes to current debates on the present and future roles of the Welsh media. It contains chapters on radio, television, the press, cinema and media policy relating to Wales.

A free press is the cornerstone of democracy. Does this then give the press the right to print inaccurate material with relative impunity? Should the public have a statutory right of reply to inaccuracy in the press? And how free is the press in a world of converging technologies and crossmedia ownership? Clive Soley and Tom O’Malley set the issues of press regulation in their historical context, focusing on the period after 1945. They specifically look at the history and record of the Press Council and assess the performance of the Press Complaints Commission. The book analyses the arguments surrounding attempts to improve standards by introducing statutory rights for the public, and the reasons for the failure of these initiatives. Focusing on issues of principle such as accuracy, misrepresentation and privacy, the authors re-examine the ways in which debates over press freedom versus regulation illuminate the fundamental conflicts between a fully accountable press and the economic imperatives of the free market economy.