Media regulation: blog tasks

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

• Rules and regulations to ensure organisations operate fairly.

2) What is OFCOM responsible for?

• Regulating broadcast media (TV and Radio)
• OFCOM is responsible for granting licences to TV and Radio stations and it is illegal to broadcast TV or Radio signals without a licence from OFCOM.

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 5: Impartiality and Undue Prominence of Views and Opinions - I believe that impartiality is one of the most important qualities that a regulatory body should have as having personal beliefs interfere with their work could cause them 
• Section 7: Fairness - Similarly to impartiality I believe that fairness is important as every piece of media should be treated equally and not be affected by any biases the reviewer may have.
• Section 8: Privacy - Ensuring the privacy of people who may not want to have their names or faces broadcast to the public (e.g. on the news) is important as it could help protect them from any potential negative reactions from the public

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

• I believe that they are partially correct as it was played at a time where young children would be more likely to be watching where it should have been played at a later time where they would be more likely to be asleep however I believe that there is also a large responsibility on the parents to also make sure that their children don't watch content that is inappropriate for their age.

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?

• A lack of statutory powers means that when a newspaper has been found to breach the rules, the best a victim can hope for is an apology.
• Critics also argue that many newspapers seem to fly in the face of the rules on a pretty regular basis and that very little is done to stop them.

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

• An inquiry into the “culture, practice and ethics of the press” that was held due to a phone hacking scandal.

8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?

• The Independent Press Standards Organisation

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 believe that free press is important as if there are too many regulations in place the government can drastically influence what information the people are able to get through mainstream media so while some regulations may be necessary the press shouldn't be regulated as much as other forms of media.

10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate? 

• The internet is international and providing content doesn't require a licence, making traditional mechanisms difficult to use. Illegal content can be removed using basic laws and international agreements, but failure to enforce by any country globally can result in continued universal availability.