Media regulation: blog task
1) What is regulation and why do me🐖a industries need to be regulated?
Almost every industry in any sector has a regulatory organisation behind them making sure that anything that they produce is fair. In Media's case there is OFFCOM (this stands for OFFice of COMunications), OFFCOM creates rules and regulations for large media companies to make sure that the content is appropriate for the time they are on, (e.g. T.V channels are not allowed to show content that is considered to mature for children until after 9 pm, this is to try and limit the exposure of this type of content to children, this even applies to advertises as well.) For newspapers the Independent Press Standards Organisation helps regulate the news the media releases. The media sector needs extra regulations mainly due to the fact of how influential the media industry can be to such a large audience on a daily basis, specifically when it comes to political shows and matters e.g. OFFCOM makes sure that if there is a debate or a show that shows one political view, another show or debater should show the other political parties view.
2) What is OFCOM responsible for?
OFCOM is responsible for regulating broadcasting media in the UK.
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 this sector is one of the more important codes within the OFCOM broadcasting code as without this media outlets that support one political view have absolute power over what their viewers see and potentionally believe, it's a dangerous power that no media outlet should have controll over.
Section 3: Crime: As mentioned on their website, this code prevents any form of "hatred, abusive and derogatory treatment, and portrayals of crime and criminal proceedings" to be shown at a time where there may be a large amount of children watching. This has mainly been implemented to help reduce crime levels by restricting crime like activites on T.V that could potentionally have an effect on impressionable children.
Section 8: Privacy: This codes basic principle is "To ensure that broadcasters avoid unjust or unfair treatment of individuals or organisations in programmes." What this means is that this code helps prevent unfairness to individuals and companies from any broadcaster.
4) Do you agree with OFCOM that Channel 4 was wrong to broadcast 'Wolverine' at 6.55pm on a Sunday evening? Why?
I both agree and also disagree with OFCOM. I agree to an extent that channel 4 was wrong since at home parents have the ability to controll what their children watch, and if they cannot monitor their children it is on the parents. But I also dont agree that OFCOM was in the wrong as in 2013 (when this issue was created) Channel 4's audience age demographic was estimated to be 10-15% for children under 12 (multiple sources stated different values) the fact that a portion of that size was able to view content rated 12 is wrong and shouldhave been thoughtout better.
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 Press Complaints Commission was criticised as the people believed that the orginisation could not do much if a newspaper broke a rule that they had created. If a newspaper was found to be breaking a rule the PCC had created, the most a victim could expect from the newspaper was an apology, and even they would not recieve prominence, this is mainly due to the fact that newspapers are not licensed like broadcasters, meaning the removal of a license is not an option.
7) What was the Leveson enquiry and why was it set up?
The Leveson enquiry was set up to invstigate into the “culture, practice and ethics of the press". This is due to a phone hacking scandal involving newspapers intercepting royal family related calls illegaly.
8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?
In 2014 the PCC was replaced by the IPSO ( the Independent Press Standards Ocsociation)
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 having free press is an example of the freedom of speech and as said before is a quality of a functional democracy, and removing that feedom can threaten that.
10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate?
The internet is difficult to regulate due to its size and the international nature of the internet, content can be seen, created and shared anywhere around the world, trying to regulate that kind of traffic is almost impossible, and even if a code was created which helped remove or regulate a certain type of content or aspect of the internet, there will always be loopholes which can be exploited
Almost every industry in any sector has a regulatory organisation behind them making sure that anything that they produce is fair. In Media's case there is OFFCOM (this stands for OFFice of COMunications), OFFCOM creates rules and regulations for large media companies to make sure that the content is appropriate for the time they are on, (e.g. T.V channels are not allowed to show content that is considered to mature for children until after 9 pm, this is to try and limit the exposure of this type of content to children, this even applies to advertises as well.) For newspapers the Independent Press Standards Organisation helps regulate the news the media releases. The media sector needs extra regulations mainly due to the fact of how influential the media industry can be to such a large audience on a daily basis, specifically when it comes to political shows and matters e.g. OFFCOM makes sure that if there is a debate or a show that shows one political view, another show or debater should show the other political parties view.
2) What is OFCOM responsible for?
OFCOM is responsible for regulating broadcasting media in the UK.
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 this sector is one of the more important codes within the OFCOM broadcasting code as without this media outlets that support one political view have absolute power over what their viewers see and potentionally believe, it's a dangerous power that no media outlet should have controll over.
Section 3: Crime: As mentioned on their website, this code prevents any form of "hatred, abusive and derogatory treatment, and portrayals of crime and criminal proceedings" to be shown at a time where there may be a large amount of children watching. This has mainly been implemented to help reduce crime levels by restricting crime like activites on T.V that could potentionally have an effect on impressionable children.
Section 8: Privacy: This codes basic principle is "To ensure that broadcasters avoid unjust or unfair treatment of individuals or organisations in programmes." What this means is that this code helps prevent unfairness to individuals and companies from any broadcaster.
4) Do you agree with OFCOM that Channel 4 was wrong to broadcast 'Wolverine' at 6.55pm on a Sunday evening? Why?
I both agree and also disagree with OFCOM. I agree to an extent that channel 4 was wrong since at home parents have the ability to controll what their children watch, and if they cannot monitor their children it is on the parents. But I also dont agree that OFCOM was in the wrong as in 2013 (when this issue was created) Channel 4's audience age demographic was estimated to be 10-15% for children under 12 (multiple sources stated different values) the fact that a portion of that size was able to view content rated 12 is wrong and shouldhave been thoughtout better.
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 Press Complaints Commission was criticised as the people believed that the orginisation could not do much if a newspaper broke a rule that they had created. If a newspaper was found to be breaking a rule the PCC had created, the most a victim could expect from the newspaper was an apology, and even they would not recieve prominence, this is mainly due to the fact that newspapers are not licensed like broadcasters, meaning the removal of a license is not an option.
7) What was the Leveson enquiry and why was it set up?
The Leveson enquiry was set up to invstigate into the “culture, practice and ethics of the press". This is due to a phone hacking scandal involving newspapers intercepting royal family related calls illegaly.
8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?
In 2014 the PCC was replaced by the IPSO ( the Independent Press Standards Ocsociation)
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 having free press is an example of the freedom of speech and as said before is a quality of a functional democracy, and removing that feedom can threaten that.
10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate?
The internet is difficult to regulate due to its size and the international nature of the internet, content can be seen, created and shared anywhere around the world, trying to regulate that kind of traffic is almost impossible, and even if a code was created which helped remove or regulate a certain type of content or aspect of the internet, there will always be loopholes which can be exploited
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