Naomi Campbell has today received a rather expensive £750,000
nibble round the back of her shapely neck and it couldn't happen to a nicer,
lying, drug abusing, prima donna.
I hope this historic victory sends a message to the more
egotistical, pampered, self-deluded celebrities out there that if you
relentlessly court the media and make money out of us, then you have to accept
the occasional journalistic rough with the smooth.
Today's judgment is not a licence for us to trample on the
privacy of the man or woman in the street. This is a licence for us to reveal
perfectly justifiable information about public figures if they deliberately lie
about themselves to protect their commercial images.
There has been a lot of self-interested squealing recently about
the ineffectiveness of the Press Complaints Commission. But this story was
published within the strict guidelines of the PCC, and shows unequivocally that
self-regulation of the press works.
I am particularly pleased that the Appeal Court recognised the
Daily Mirror had actively sought to be sympathetic when revealing Naomi's drug
addiction, and that it would be wrong to criticise us for doing so.
I wish her well with her treatment in future. I now intend to
celebrate this win with some fava beans and a nice chianti.
