Media Accountability & Complaints Guide
Learn more about the regulators, the regulatory codes and the
obligation of broadcasters and publishers
Learn more about the regulators, the regulatory codes and the obligation of broadcasters and publishers
| What are the standards that are expected of the media?
Publishers:
Publishers are expected to ensure their content meets standards that ensure fairness and privacy, and maintain impartiality and accuracy in news
Regulator: IPSO
Regulations: Editors; Code of Practice
Broadcasters:
Broadcaster are expected to ensure their content meets standards ensure fairness and privacy, maintain impartiality and accuracy in news
Regulator: OFCOM
Regulations: Broadcasting Code
| What are the most commonly breached regulatory codes?
Broadcasting Code
Clause 2: Duty to provide adequate protection for members of the public from harmful and/or offensive material.
Clause 5: Duty to ensure that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.
Editors’ Code of Practice
Clause 1: The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information or images, including headlines not supported by the text.
| What can be done about it when their content doesn’t meet the above standards?
In both cases, the public can complain to the publisher or broadcaster and demand that they fix the article, and in more grave misconduct, to issue an apology.
If they fail to do so, the public can contact the relevant regulators. Most publishers in the UK are regulated by IPSO, while all broadcasters are regulated by OFCOM.
Since complaints normally take a long time to be processed, it’s generally advised to submit both complaints at the same time. That also helps ensure that those kinds of errors don’t keep happening.
