(Credit: Flickr, "MobileObjective")

The British Press Photographers’ Association issued a statement Nov. 30 defending UK photographers from criticism of photgraphers made during the UK Leveson Inquiry into press standards.

According to Journalism.co.uk, the organization has asked if it can be a “core participant” in the inquiry, “which would allow it to have legal representation at the inquiry and to put questions to witnesses via the inquiry’s legal team.”

Also, the association claimed that the label “paparazzi” is a “pejorative term” and defended press photographers from the typical “accusations as well as verbal abuse” that the association says they receive.

Read the statement here.