REGULATION VS FREE PRESS

TABLOID SCANDAL

• It was uncovered that News Of The World were hacking celebrities and
regular people’s phones to get juicy stories.
• They even went as far as hacking a missing girl’s phone and deleting some of
her messages to clear storage and make space for more messages to come in.
• Some examples of their headlines are “Beckham secret affair” and “Blunkett’s
affair with a married woman”
PRESS COMPLAINTS COMMISSION

• The PCC was a voluntary regulatory

body for British printed newspapers
and magazines
• They determine whether a code has
been broken after a complaint.
• If it has, they suggest appropriate
measures of correction
• It closed of the 8th of September
2014 due to the lack of action in the
Tabloid phone hacking scandal
 LEVESON ENQUIRY

• It was the investigation into the practices and culture of British press after the
phone hacking scandal
• It was chaired by Lord Justice Leveson. Appointed in July 2011
• Leveson recommended a new watchdog for MPs and newspapers, with
statutory underpinning
• He also recommended an independent and new body to replace PCC which
would have to be recognised by the state through new laws.
LEVESON ENQUIRY
 IPSO AND IMPRESS

• IPSO- Independent Press Standards organisation is the largest regulator of the

newspaper and magazine industry in the UK. It exists to promote the highest
form of journalism. Furthermore to support members of the public when they
believe that the Editors Code of Practice has been breached.
• IMPRESS- An independent press regulator, unlike IPSO, IMPRESS is fully
compliant with the terms of the Leveson Enquiry.
IPSO AND IMPRESS
 WHAT IS MEANT BY FREE PRESS

• Free press means press that isn’t regulated and where they say what they want.
• Some problems with free press is that firstly newspapers could end up
offending a lot of people by what they’re saying
• Another problem is that to get the information they want they could end up
doing some morally wrong and unethical things.
• A benefit is that it’s giving the public the complete truth
 DO WE NEED TO REGULATE IT

• I believe we do need to regulate what is said in the press because if we don’t it

can end up ruining a lot of people’s lives.
• Furthermore, although people should have freedom of speech, you have to
consider things that are offensive and could damage someone’s reputation that
doesn’t deserve it.
• A problem with regulating it however is that the public aren’t getting all the
information that is out there.