Media Regulation

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

Industries have their own dedicated regulation bodies where they control what is and what isn't said via the main channels who have their own, specialised remits. 

2) What is OFCOM responsible for?

OFCOM is responsible regulating and censoring any offensive or misleading content that may displease audiences. They deem products either to be fit for public consumption or unsafe for the public to watch.

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?

Protecting the Under-Eighteens - We need to ensure that we are protecting age specific content from reaching the people it shouldn't be consumed by. 

Privacy- The public has a right to have their private and important information protected. We feel like our information needs to be accessible by ONLY the people who need it and not people who are willing to use information in order to influence us in different ways. 

Elections and Referendums- The amount of people who consume media products is huge. The influence this can have on the general public during an election time is insane. The public is susceptible to enormous influence by the political parties if they have enough exposure time on TV.

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

I don't think it was wrong because in the real world the age that people should view certain certificates of film, it's not really that accurate. It all matters on the maturity levels of the consumer could be mature/ready for the 'restricted' content in the product. 

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 lack of statutory powers means that when a newspaper has been found to break the rules, the best a victim can hope for is an apology, which often does not get sufficient prominence in the paper.

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

It involved a phone hacking scandal and it was regarding two journalists who were both employed by newspapers. Someone was hacking and illegally intercepting calls between the royal family. Victims of press intrusion also gave evidence, including Hugh Grant and Charlotte Church who gave details about how they felt the press had been able to intrude on their personal lives to an unacceptable extent. It was set up to protect people from press/media intrusion.

8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?

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 things that could have the potential to influence a massive audience should be viewed but within reason. Maybe if there is a political show coming on, I feel that's where the line should be drawn, as some channels remits are simply to entertain. PSB's that have the right to display such things, if they mention it in their remits, it is fine to include such things. 

TV and Radio should be regulated to an extent as I feel the artistic value and measure should be rewarded with more screen time. If we do not give the creative or recreational shows enough airtime, then the British broadcast scene will become very bleak, hostile and dull.


10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate?

The internet cannot just be controlled. There is too much content being uploaded per second for the governments of the world to keep up. Internal regulations with platforms such as YouTube have a strict and possibly biased regulation system. Social media utilises a report button and relies on both the users and administrators to regulate content within the realms of the platform. We as a generation who has absolutely unlimited access to the internet, are aware of the prominent risks and dangers of the 'malicious' content that could be on the internet. 

One could argue that the UK could learn from other governments such as the German government where they regulate and restrict most offensive and age appropriate content. In China, we see a new extreme where the government has 100% control of the internet and chooses what does and doesn't go on there. We should give enough credit to the people who are not breaking any rules and that make unique and creative content which unfortunately taken down due to extremely strict algorithms such as the infamous YouTube demonetisation crisis.