There are five main legal and regulatory constraints to consider for radio news production: 1) Handling stories involving minors and ensuring their protection, identity, and privacy. 2) Contempt of court by disregarding a judge's ruling and publishing restricted information. 3) Libel and defamation laws to avoid falsely damaging someone's reputation without cause. 4) Impartiality requirements around election coverage and not allowing political campaigning. 5) Official Secrets Act to protect classified information, locations, and security details.

1. Legal and regulatoryconstraints:
There are manylegal andregulatoryconstraintswhenitcomestoradionewsproduction,thiscan
effectnewscoverage significantlyandalsochange whatwe are told.These constraintscanbe
groupedinto5 categories, whichare the 5 main featuresyouwouldtake intoconsiderationwhen
producingradionews.
The firstis handlingof storiesinvolvingminors,there are certainthingsyoucanand can’t mention
whenitcomesto a newsstoryabout minors,andthisis mostly forthe protectionof the person.
OFCOMbroadcastingcode andthe BBC Editorial guidelineshave strictrulesonthissubject.
OFCOM – They state that the principle of this istoensure thatpeople undereighteenare protected,
meaningwhetheritisthe broadcastingof someone whoisunderage orwhetheritissomethingthat
someone underage couldsee,then“Material thatmightseriouslyimpairthe physical,mentalor
moral developmentof people undereighteenmustnotbe broadcast.”
BBC – The BBC guidelinesalsostate thatthe protectionanddignityof childrenandyoungpeople are
there numberone principlewhenitcomestobroadcastingmaterial.Theyalsostate thattheymust
not cause unnecessarystressoranxietytoanyone underage thatisinvolved.”We musttake care
that the informationwe disclose aboutchildrenandyoungpeopledoesnotputthemat anyrisk.
How theyare identifiedinourcontentrequirescareful considerationandwill varyaccordingto
context. Advice isavailable fromEditorial Policy. If ithas beenestablishedthatwe shouldnot
disclose achildor youngperson'slocation,particularcare shouldbe takennottoinadvertentlydoso
by a 'jigsaweffect',i.e. Revealingseveral piecesof informationinwordsorimagesthatcan be
piecedtogethertoreadilyidentifywhere the childmaybe found. (Note that,insome
circumstances,avoidingthe 'jigsaweffect'mayrequire takingaccountof informationalreadyinthe
publicdomain.)”
So whenitcomesto radionewsproductionyou have totake intoconsiderationif the material can
be consideredasgraphicor not suitable forchildrenandthenhave awarninginplace before hand
or playthe material at a laterhour whenchildrenare lesslikelytosee the news.Alsoif the material
actuallyinvolvedsomeone whoisunderagedthenprecautionsmustbe takentokeepthe identityof
the childa secretif the childisat riskof beingharmed.Thiscanconsistof the name of the childto
the whereaboutsof theirhouse andfamily.
The secondis contemptof court. This isdisregardingjudge’sruling,whenitcomestoradionewsthis
couldbe goingagainstthe judge’sorderandbroadcastsomethingyouweren’tsupposedtodo.For
example recentlyRyanGigstookouta superinjunctiontostopanymediafrompublishing
informationaboutfamilyissuesthathadtakenplace.Thismeantthat if any mediaproduction
companypublishedthisinformationthentheywouldbe finedbycourt.
Althougheventhoughthisinjunctionwastakenoutsomeone hadleakedthe newswhichmeant
everyone hadalreadyfoundoutsointhat case mediacompanieslike radioandTV newsstartedto
publishthisinformationbecauseeveryonealreadyknew anyway.Althoughthe personwholeaked
thisinformationshouldbe incontemptof courtbuthasn’tbeenfoundyet.
Thirdlythere islibel anddefamation,defamationbasicallymeansslanderingsomeone’sname,alot
of mediaoutletswill sometimespurposelymake uparumour or slandersomeone because the profit

2. theywouldgainisgreaterthan the fine.Althoughasmall time radiostationmightwanttodothere
researchwhenitcomesto make a statementof someone asitstill isagainstthe law and comeswith
a heavyfine.
The 4th
is coverage of elections. Whenanelectionistakingplace the newsisnotallowedtobe
biasedabouteitherside,winningorlosing.Theyalsocan’tallow anypolitical partytoruna
campaignduringthe election.
For more informationaboutthese guidelinesyoucanrefertothe OFCOMand BBC website.
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/broadcast-codes/broadcast-code/elections/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/page/guidelines-impartiality-elections-referendums/
Finallythere isthe officialsecretsact.Thislaw is to protectand safe guard informationrelatedtothe
securityof the countryor highlyregardedpeople,forexample the queen.Whentravelingorvisiting
a place,mostof the time that locationwill be keptsecretinordertoprotectthe queen,intermsof
radionewsproduction,aradiostationcannot broadcastthe royal family’s locationunlessgiving
authoritytodo so, itis underthe same act as if theywere broadcastingaccesscodestoa secret
service website.
If the radiostationwere toignore these lawsandbrake them, thenthe trouble theywouldbe inis
more than a large fine.