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The author discusses concerns regarding freedom of the press as of December 8, 2013, highlighting a British parliamentary hearing on leaks on government surveillance policies by former U.S. National Security Agency (N.S.A.) contractor Edward J. Snowden that were published in the newspaper "The Guardian." Topics addressed include the questioning of Alan Rusbridger, editor of "The Guardian," as well as the role of journalism in democracy

The author relates on the actions taken by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of Prime Minister David Cameron regarding the leaked information from the National Security Agency which was published by journal "The Guardian" and now threatens the press freedom in Great Britain.

The article focuses on British Prime Minister David Cameron's opposition on the 1,987-page Leveson report on press culture, launched at the British Parliament on November 29, 2012. It says that the report suggests creating a new system of press regulation to be supported by parlimentary statute. British newspapers including "The Sun," "The Times of London," and "The Independent," praised Cameroon's stand that passing the statute would demoralize the priniciple of the freedom of the press.

PARIS -- A widening phone-hacking scandal is prompting a broad reassessment of the balance between press freedom and privacy in Britain, even as France grapples with the consequences of its tradition of protecting the powerful. If Dominique Strauss-Kahn walks free now that the sexual assault case against him in New York seems to be weakening, will the French public have a right, or, indeed, an appetite to know more than what emerged in American courts? And if less-exalted people in Britain feel that their secrets should be protected too, how should they shield themselves from unscrupulous journalists hacking into their most intimate voice mails? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article reports that Peter Clarke, head of counterterrorism at Scotland Yard, headquarter of the police service in Great Britain, has urged for changes that would permit freer news reporting and wider discussion of terrorism trials in Great Britain. According to Clarke, limitations imposed on news reporting of various aspects of terrorism investigations have contributed to an increase in public skepticism and suspicion regarding the scale of terrorism threat.

The article reports that the British High Court has lifted restrictions on the BBC from publicizing developments of a sandal over allegations of political parties trading honors for donations. The tussle started when the High Court barred BBC earlier from showing a news report on the scandal, which has political implications for Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is at the last lap of his tenure. However, Blair's spokesman denied any role of the Prime Minister in the scandal.