At least 55 UK journalists have been arrested in the last two years and in the wake of the Leveson report police relations with the press are changing rapidly.

Under proposals being put out to consultation by the Home Office all police contacts with journalists will have to be noted and protection for journalistic sources under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act could be watered down.

It has been noted that the current clampdown on unofficial police contact with journalists could have stopped the very reporting which exposed the hacking scandal in the first place and which was partly reliant on police whistleblowers.

Critics of press conduct say that wrongdoers should take their punishment like any other alleged criminals. But many in the press believe that the post-Leveson clampdown has been draconian, with devastating consequences for those kept on police bail for extended periods, and that it has ultimately led to fewer whistleblowers coming forward.

Panelists:

Peter Preston: former Guardian editor
Bethany Usher: former News of the World journalist turned journalism lecturer (arrested under Operation Weeting and later cleared)
Neil Wallis: former News of the World executive editor (arrested under Operation Weeting and cleared after 21 months on police bail)

For more information please visit the City University London website.