MEDIA WORRIES: Across Britain, newspaper front pages voiced disquiet at the establishment of an independent watchdog that would have the power to order prominent apologies and take complaints into arbitration - a move one newspaper described as overturning centuries of press freedom.

BACKGROUND: The new regulation stemmed from calls for reform of the British press following a damaging scandal over phone hacking, bribery, and other media misdeeds.

TOO MUCH: Newspaper groups are concerned that the new body will become a burdensome regulator, bogging down newspapers with frequent and expensive complaints about coverage.