MIGRAIN: industries regulation

 Alezey

MEDIA REGULATION

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet 128: Contemporary Media Regulation.

Read the Factsheet and complete the following questions/tasks:

1) What is regulation and why do media industries need to be regulated?

              

Regulation is a system of rules and regulations to ensure that organisations operate fairly. Media industries need regulation because very few industries leave organisations to their own devices, and regulators monitor the way industries work and give audiences somebody to complain to, while balancing freedom of expression.

2) What is OFCOM responsible for?

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?

I think the three most important sections of the OFCOM Broadcasting Code are:

1. Protecting the Under-Eighteens – this is important because it links to the watershed and makes sure children are protected from unsuitable content.
2. Harm and Offence – this is important because it limits content that could be offensive or cause harm to audiences.
3. Impartiality and Undue Prominence of Views and Opinions – this is important because it ensures broadcasters are fair and balanced, especially in news and political content.

4) Do you agree with OFCOM that Channel 4 was wrong to broadcast 'Wolverine' at 6.55pm on a Sunday evening? Why?

Yes, I agree with OFCOM. This is because it was shown before the 9pm watershed, when children are likely to be watching TV. Wolverine contains violence and scenes unsuitable for under-eighteens, which goes against Protecting the Under-Eighteens and Harm and Offence of the Broadcasting Code. Broadcasting it at that time risked exposing children to inappropriate content. However, Channel 4 did give a warning but it still breached the broadcasting codes.

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?

The Press Complaints Commission was criticised because it lacked statutory powers, so when a newspaper broke the rules the best a victim could hope for was an apology, which often did not get sufficient prominence. Critics also argued that many newspapers seem to fly in the face of the rules on a pretty regular basis and very little was done to stop them.

7) What was the Leveson enquiry and why was it set up?

The Leveson Enquiry was an inquiry into the “culture, practice and ethics of the press” held in 2011 and 2012. It was set up mainly because of the phone hacking scandal, when journalists had illegally intercepted phone calls. The enquiry showed that phone hacking was widespread and also looked at other areas of press behaviour that were considered questionable.

8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?

In 2014, the PCC was replaced by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Like the PCC, it was set up by the newspaper industry and its code of practice is essentially the same, which has led to criticism that it is effectively the PCC under a different name.

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?

I think a free press is important in a democracy because it lets newspapers hold people in power to account. But newspapers can also ignore rules, invade privacy, or mislead audiences, like in the phone hacking scandal. I think there should be stronger oversight, but too much statutory regulation could limit freedom of expression, while too little allows abuse. The press needs a balance between freedom and accountability.

10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate? 

The internet is difficult to regulate because it is global and always changing. Millions of people can create and share content instantly, and it can spread across countries, so different laws make it hard to control. Harmful or misleading material can appear very quickly, which makes regulation much harder than for TV, radio, or newspapers.