The Leveson inquiry investigated press regulation in the UK following phone hacking scandals and recommended the establishment of a new independent press regulator, resulting in the creation of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) to enforce the Editor's Code of Practice and handle public complaints about breaches of the code. Freedom of expression includes the right to freedom of the press but is subject to limitations including for accuracy, privacy, and protecting children and national security.
2. What was the purpose
of the BBC as stated by
its founder, John Reith,
in 1922?
So what is the purpose
of the media?
Why do you think that
people consume media
products?
3. BBC's core mission, as set out by the BBC's founder
Director Genera, Lord Reith in 1922, is to :
to inform
to educate
to entertain.
Which ones of these would you say that apply to
journalism?
https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/communications-committee/news-parliament-2015/bbc-charter-review-report-published
4. What is the purpose of the Mass Media of
Communication (“the Media”)?
To inform, to educate and to entertain.
What is the purpose of journalism (“the
news”)?
To inform.
5. To know what is the Editors’ Code of Practice and the
Independent Press Standards Organisation.
Be able to understand and explain how newspapers are
regulated in the UK.
By the end of the lesson you should be able to identify
breaches in the Editors’ Code of Practice in the UK press.
6. Freedom of speech is a principle that supports
the freedom of an individual or a community to
articulate their opinions and ideas without fear
of government retaliation, censorship, or
sanction.
The term "freedom of expression" is sometimes
used synonymously but includes any act of
seeking, receiving, and imparting information or
ideas, regardless of the medium used.
7. Freedom of expression is recognized as a human right under article 19 of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and recognized
in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR).
Article 19 of the UDHR states that "everyone shall have the right to freedom of
expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in
writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice".
The version of Article 19 in the ICCPR later amends this by stating that the
exercise of these rights carries "special duties and responsibilities" and may
"therefore be subject to certain restrictions" when necessary "[f]or respect of
the rights or reputation of others" or "[f]or the protection of national security or
of public order (order public), or of public health or morals".
8. However, there is a broad sweep of exceptions including
threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour
intending or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress or
cause a breach of the peace (which has been used to
prohibit racist speech targeted at individuals or social groups),
incitement to racial hatred, incitement to religious hatred,
incitement to terrorism, treason,obscenity, indecency
including corruption of public morals and outraging public
decency, defamation, harassment, privileged
communications, trade secrets, classified material, copyright,
patents, military conduct, and limitations on commercial
speech such as advertising.
9. Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the principle that
communication and expression through various media, including
printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should
be considered a right to be exercised freely. Such freedom implies the
absence of interference from an overreaching state; its preservation
may be sought through constitutional or other legal protections.
With respect to governmental information, any government may
distinguish which materials are public or protected from disclosure to
the public. State materials are protected due to either of two reasons:
the classification of information as sensitive, classified or secret, or
the relevance of the information to protecting the national interest.
10. Journalism ethics and standards comprise
principles of ethics and of good practice as
applicable to the work of journalists.
Historically and currently, this subset of
media ethics is widely known to journalists as
their professional "code of ethics".
11. While various existing codes have some
differences, most share common elements
including the principles of:
1. Truthfulness
2. Accuracy
3. Objectivity
4. Impartiality
5. Fairness
6. Public accountability
12. Newspaper editors must follow the rules of the Editor's
Code of Practice.
Before the Leveson Inquiry, newspapers and their editors
were regulated by the Press Complaints Commission
(PCC).The PCC closed on 8 September 2014.
After the Leveson Inquiry it was replaced by
the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).
The IPSO now investigate complaints about breaches of
the Editor's Code of Practice.
13. The Independent Press
Standards Organisation (IPSO) is
the independent regulator for the
newspaper and magazine
industry in the UK.We hold
newspapers and magazines to
account for their actions, protect
individual rights, uphold high
standards of journalism and help
to maintain freedom of
expression for the press.
The IPSO makes sure
that newspapers and
magazines follow the Editors'
Code of practice.
https://www.ipso.co.uk
14.
15.
16.
17. The Leveson inquiry was a judicial public inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the
British press following the News International phone hacking scandal, chaired by Lord Justice
Leveson, who was appointed in July 2011. It was set up by Prime Minister David Cameron to
investigate the press after journalists at The News of the World were accused of illegally
accessing the voicemail messages on other people's phones, without their knowledge or consent.
They were also accused of bribing police officers. Some of those who had their mobile phones
'hacked' in this way were celebrities, sports people and politicians.
The News of the World was closed down by its owner, News International, when this
information became public. Lord Justice Leveson stated his recommendations on how the press
should be regulated.They were: ”Newspapers should continue to be self-regulated and government
should have no power over what newspapers publish. A new press standards organisation, with a
new code of conduct should be created by the press industry. Legislation should be provided to
ensure this new press standards organisation would be independent and effective in dealing with
public complaints.”
As a result of this inquiry, and following the windup of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC),
which had been the main industry regulator of the press in the United Kingdom since 1990, the
Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) was established on Monday 8 September
2014.
18. What is Freedom of expression?
a right to the freedom of an individual or a community to seeking, receiving, and
imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used and to articulate
their opinions and ideas without fear of government retaliation, censorship, or
sanction.
What are the limitations to Freedom of expression?
Freedom of expression can be subject to certain restrictions when necessary for
respect of the rights or reputation of others; for the protection of national security
or of public order (order public), or of public health or morals.
What is Freedom of the press?
a right to the freedom to communicate and express ideas through various media,
including printed and electronic media, especially published materials. Such
freedom implies the absence of interference from an overreaching state; its
preservation may be sought through constitutional or other legal protections.
19. Who regulates the press in the UK?
The main regulatory for the national press in the UK is
the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).
What is the Editor’s Code of Practice?
The Editors’ Code of Practice sets out the rules that
newspapers and magazines regulated by IPSO have
agreed to follow.
The Code is written and administered by the Editors’
Code Committee and enforced by IPSO.
20. What are the limitations to freedom of press? Some examples are:
Accuracy: The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information or images, including
headlines not supported by the text.
Privacy*: Everyone is entitled to respect for their private and family life, home, physical and mental health, and
correspondence, including digital communications.
Harassment*: Journalists must not engage in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit.
Children* : Children under 16 must not be interviewed or photographed on issues involving their own or another child’s
welfare unless a custodial parent or similarly responsible adult consents.
Clandestine devices and subterfuge*
The press must not seek to obtain or publish material acquired by using hidden cameras or clandestine listening devices;
or by intercepting private or mobile telephone calls, messages or emails; or by the unauthorised removal of documents or
photographs; or by accessing digitally-held information without consent.
Discrimination: The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual's, race, colour, religion, sex,
gender identity, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability.
Payment to criminals* : Payment or offers of payment for stories, pictures or information, which seek to exploit a
particular crime or to glorify or glamorise crime in general, must not be made directly or via agents to convicted or
confessed criminals or to their associates – who may include family, friends and colleagues.
The Public Interest There may be exceptions to the clauses marked * where they can be demonstrated to be in the public
interest:
Detecting or exposing crime, or the threat of crime.
Protecting public health or safety.
Protecting the public from being misled by an action or statement of an individual or organisation.
Disclosing a person or organisation’s failure or likely failure to comply with any obligation to which they are subject.
Disclosing a miscarriage of justice.
21. What are the uses and gratifications for newspapers
consumers?
1. Information
2. Learning
3. Personal identity Audience identification (political or ideological)
4. Integration and social interaction Sense of group
identification (shared values, beliefs, ideals)
5. Entertainment
Surveillance
22. Effort Level: Description:
1 Excellent – all work completed, with great detail, description.
2 Good – most work completed but more detail required.
3 Satisfactory – some work completed.
4 Unsatisfactory – some work incomplete.
5 Poor – most work incomplete.