Media regulation

Read the Factsheet 128 and complete the following questions/tasks:

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

-Systems of regulation are required to provide rules and regulations to ensure that organisations operate fairly.

2) What is OFCOM responsible for?

-OFCOM is responsible for regulating broadcast media such as TV and Radio.

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?

-Section 8: Privacy-everyone should watch what they want knowing they  have a certain level of privacy while watching, and without worry about it being shown to the people around them.

-Section 1: Protecting the Under-Eighteens-under 18's shouldn't be shown content that isn't for their age, because if could harm them.

-Section 2: Harm and Offence-a show can be harmful to some people and they can take offence from it, so it is better to make sure this will not happen.

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

-Yes, because channel 4 usually puts out family, friendly shows that children mostly will watch at that time not shows that are violent, action and crime like wolverine.

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 newspaper has been found to break rules and for this it has been criticised greatly.

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

-Throughout 2011 and 2012, an inquiry into the “culture, practice and ethics of the press” was held, mainly as a result of the so-called phone hacking scandal.

8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?

-On 8th September 2014, the PCC was replaced by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).

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 that is should face statutory regulation like the tv and radio because it is mainly used for creating a side in politics, which is wrong. So to keep fairness it should go through regulation to avoid biasness.

10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate?

-This is because the public have the freedom of speech and no one can take it away from them as it would cause chaos. The public would say there freedom is being taken away.