Newspaper regulation:

Task One: Media Magazine article and questions

Read the Media Magazine article: From Local Press to National Regulator in MM56 (p55). You'll find the article in our Media Magazine archive here. Once you've read the article, answer the following questions:

1) Keith Perch used to edit the Leicester Mercury. How many staff did it have at its peak and where does Perch see the paper in 10 years' time?

At its peak, the Leicester Mercury employed 130 journalists. Perch sees the paper in 10 years' time either as a weekly, extremely expensive, and with a very small circulation if it remains in print, or as an online-only paper with only five or six staff, unlikely to make money.

2) How does Perch view the phone hacking scandal?

Perch acknowledges that illegal activities occurred within the press, particularly phone hacking, and that it should have been dealt with by the police. However, he believes the resulting regulatory actions were disproportionate. He thinks too many newspapers and magazines were caught up in a regulatory system that they shouldn't be part of and that the focus should have been on legal action rather than regulation.

3) What does IPSO stand for and how does it work?

IPSO stands for the Independent Press Standards Organisation. It works by allowing a newspaper 28 days to deal with a complaint. If the issue isn't resolved, it can be taken to the IPSO Complaints Committee, which determines if the Editor's Code of Practice has been breached. If it has, the Committee can require corrections to be published, sometimes on a specific page. Keith Perch is part of the board overseeing the interpretation of the code and investigating newspaper standards.

4) What is Perch's view of newspaper ownership?

Perch believes that media owners, such as Rupert Murdoch, are entitled to their say and that people are free to choose what they read. He argues against forcing media owners to sell titles to reduce control, saying that if people choose to read newspapers like The Sun, it's their decision. He doesn't support the notion that readers of certain newspapers are "stupid," and he thinks attempts to control what people read are misguided.

5) Do you agree with his view that broadcast news should have less regulation so that TV channels can support particular political parties or people?

This question is subjective. Some may agree with Perch’s view that the abundance of channels today gives people the freedom to choose news sources that align with their preferences, and that less regulation could allow broadcasters to cater to specific political viewpoints. Others may argue that maintaining balanced and neutral broadcasters ensures fairness and objectivity in news reporting, especially given the wide influence of broadcast media on public opinion. It depends on one's perspective on media regulation and impartiality.

Task Two: Newspaper regulation exam question

Write an answer on your blog answering the following exam question:

What are the arguments for and against statutory regulation of the newspaper industry? [20 marks]

Aim to write an answer of around 400-500 words featuring at least three detailed paragraphs. Make sure you cover both sides of the debate. This topic could well be our 20-mark essay at the end of Paper 1, Section B so it's great preparation for the summer exams.

Plan

Statutory regulation the process of checking by an organization that newspapers are following rules.

FOR - ensure newspapers are trustworthy

IPSO/ IMPRESS stop extreme/ sensationalist stories - set up after Leveson inquiry - Milly Dowler phone hacked.

- IPSO - editors code includes: Accuracy, privacy, harassment, protection of children.

P2. Against - convergence led to regulation being ineffective

The internet, unable to regulate across borders. Mail Online 15 million Daily users globally. Livingstone and Lunt - convergence, has placed traditional approaches to regulation at risk. 

- in digital age regulation impractical, should rely on newspapers being moralistic e.g i strapline "journalism you can trust"

P3. FOR - Self regulation ineffective

IPSO/ IMPRESS joined voluntarily. - guardian not in IPSO. Not Binding in legislation. IPSO also funded by Newspapers, potential bias, dominated by richest companies e.g DMGT. (i and Daily Mail)

Curran And Seaton - Media is controlled by a small number of companies driven by profit and power, DMGT have influence into IPSO, they exert Power/ not held accountable.

Example

It is difficult to dispute the idea that statutory regulation is not the best way to regulate the newspaper industry. Statutory regulation refers to the idea that the government should be involved in the control of the media, particularly the newspaper industry. This has been a prominent debate in the media since the Leveson Inquiry, where concerns regarding the privacy of those investigated arose, and celebrities started to fear for their confidentiality.

Although it can be argued that statutory regulation would help to protect the privacy of the public, investigative journalism is a crucial element of our society. Investigative journalism allows ordinary members of the public to gain an insight into the current affairs and events that could possibly affect their safety. For example, in 2018, there have been a variety of claims regarding shootings and gang-related crime in London, Without Investigative journalism, those responsible would not be held responsible for their actions. This directly relates to Clay Shirky's theory regarding Accountability Journalism, Agaln, Shirky's theory relates to the idea that the newspapers play a crucial role in bringing corruption to light - particularly the corruption related to the elite or those in power. A well-known example of this would be the1960s scandal surrounding Father John Geoghan, who was a priest. accused of pedophilia, If statutory regulation was a thing in the 1960s, then his privacy would not have been invaded - therefore, this priest's illegal and illicit behaviour would not have been brought to light.

On the other hand, some may argue that statutory regulation would be beneficial in terms of controlling what newspapers report etc. By Introducing government-based regulation, it would prevent "morally bankrupt" journalists from invading the privacy of vulnerable individuals for the sake of generating profits. Actor and comedian Steve Coogan was a victim of the phone-hacking scandal, and had his privacy invaded when his voicemails were hacked and read, In an interview, he voiced the opinion that News of the World and other institutions have "gone after" innocent people. Vulnerable couples such as the parents of the late Millie Dower were also made victims of the inconsiderate actions of the journalists at News of the World, After their daughter went missing, journalists hacked Millie's phone, which gave the parents hope that their daughter would still be alive as it appeared as though she was answering her voicemails. Unfortunately, this hope was misplaced and they were led on an endless chase, This demonstrates that statutory regulation is required in order to protect those who are in the public eye constantly, especially when this involves something so sensitive like a murder investigation. Of course, reports are necessary: however, there must be boundaries to every investigation.

Having the government regulate newspapers may also be necessary from a business perspective. One of the things that we must consider when monitoring the growth of institutions, is the extent to which the press is "free." If statutory regulation was introduced, perhaps it would prevent issues surrounding Plurality ownership. Currently, Rupert Murdoch owns 42% of the media, through corporations such as The Sun and the former News of the World, If the government regulated the newspaper industry, then they would be able to ensure that large companies do not abuse their powerful positions.