1) What is regulation and why do media industries need to be regulated?
Very few industries leave the organisations or companies who operate in that sector to their own devices. Systems of regulation are required to provide rules and regulations to ensure that organisations operate fairly. In the media industry there are several regulatory bodies that exist to monitor the way that their industries work. Broadcast media (TV and Radio) are regulated by OFCOM – the OFfice of COMmunication and the advertising industry is regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority. Newspapers are currently regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation, which replaced the discredited Press Press Complaints Comission in 2014. Although the purpose of these bodies have some similarities, they way they operate is quite different in order to suit the needs of the industry they regulate. Regulators also provide somebody for audiences to complain to if they see something they don’t like. If you are offended by a TV show, feel that an advert is making claims that are unrealistic or a newspaper has invaded your privacy, the regulator is somebody you can turn to to take up your complaint. However, how effectivy different regulators are in carrying out these functions is a source of constant debate. Regulators must provide a set of tough consequences for media organisations that break the rules, but they do also need to balance the interests of media producers and protect freedom of expression.
2) What is OFCOM responsible for?
The OFice of COMunication (OFCOM) is responsible for regulating television, radio, telephone services and some aspects of the internet, although the areas most relevent to media students are TV and radio. There are some areas that are not the responsibility of OFCOM, such as TV Advertising which is regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and On Demand services which are regulated by the Authority for Television On Demand. (ATVOD). OFCOM is responsible for granting licences to TV and Radio stations and it is illegal to broadcast TV or Radio signals without a licence from OFCOM.
3) Look at the section on the OFCOM broadcasting code. Which do you think are the three most important sections of the broadcasting code and why?
Section 5: Impartiality and Undue Prominence of Views and Opinions
Section 7: Fairness
Section 8: Privacy
4) Do you agree with OFCOM that Channel 4 was wrong to broadcast 'Wolverine' at 6.55pm on a Sunday evening? Why?
Yes, this is due under the section 1 which Channel 4 completely violate it. I agree because children would most likely be influenced by the mannerisms of the film and may disrupt their mental well being if watched at a young age.
5) List five of the sections in the old Press Complaints Commission's Code of Practice.
Section 1: Accuracy
Section 2: Opportunity to Reply
Section 3: Privacy*
Section 4: Harassment*
Section 5: Intrusion Into Grief and Shock
6) Why was the Press Complaints Commission criticised?
It’s critics claim that the lack of statutory powers means that when a newspaper has been found to breah the rules, the best a victim can hope for is an apology, which often does not get sufficient prominence in the paper. Critics also argue that many newspapers seem to fly in the face of the rules on a pretty regular basis and that very little is done to stop them.
7) What was the Leveson enquiry and why was it set up?
Throughout 2011 and 2012, an inquiry into the “culture, practice and ethics of the press” was held, mainly as a result of the so-called phone hacking scandal. In January 2007, Clive Goodman (the royal reporter of the News of the World newspaer) and Glenn Mulcaire (a private investigator, employed by Goodman) were imprisoned for illegally intercepting phone calls connected to the royal family. At the time, the News of the World claimed that Goodman was a rogue reporter, working alone but it emerged during the Leveson Enquiry that phone hacking was much more widespread throughout the industry. The enquiry also looked at other areas of press behaviour that were considered questionable.
8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?
On 8th September 2014, the PCC was replaced by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). This new body (like the PCC) has been set up by the newspaper industry itself and it’s code of practice is essentially the same as the code administered by the PCC.
9) What is your opinion on press regulation? Is a free press an important part of living in a democracy or should newspapers face statutory regulation like TV and radio?
Opinions and views matter in regards to what the public reflect upon the media.
10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate?
Excessive use of fake accounts to lie about ages.
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