PHA Media’s Phil Hall says that a free press, however difficult it is, is intrinsic to our democracy

The Leveson Inquiry could turn out to be a huge PR own goal by David Cameron. To remind you, the prime minister set up the inquiry to investigate the regulation of the media following the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

My view is the phone-hacking issue is straightforward. It is a criminal matter, it should be investigated by the police and the offenders punished with jail terms. The Press Complaints Commission does not have the expertise nor the manpower to carry out a criminal investigation and why should it? And even Britain’s most senior judge, Lord Judge, believes the PCC is the only way to regulate the media.

By setting up an inquiry Cameron has left himself open to accusations that he is doing it to turn the fire on the media at a time when he was under attack over his appointment of Andy Coulson. That was clearly a mistake.

My experience from the PR side of the fence is that 99 per cent of journalists do act appropriately, even if they are a constant irritant to clients! And journalists tell me that because of privacy, injunctions and the PCC, it is harder than ever to get stories published.

The press performs a massive role in our society in holding our rulers to account – I believe for example, that if Greece had a media as free as ours, its politicians would not have been allowed to walk their country into disaster.

You cannot have an independent regulatory authority sponsored by the Government – imagine what the public would think if that body were to rule on a media story about the Government… there would be no confidence in it being fair and proper.

A free press, however difficult it is, is the foundation stone of any democracy and Cameron toys with it at his peril.

Phil Hall is ex-editor of the News of the World and chairman of PHA Media. Phil writes a regular column for PRmoment.com.