Control of the media

Question 1

What kind of formal control does the law have on the media?

Answer 1

• The law restricts the media’s freedom to report anything they choose in any way they like.

Question 2

What are the 6 main legal limits?

Answer 2

1. Laws of libel
2. The Official Secrets Act
3. Defence and Security Media Advisory Notices
4. The Racial and Religious Hatred Act and Equality Act
5. The Obscene Publications Act
6. Contempt of Court provision

Question 3

What are the laws of libel?

Answer 3

• These forbid the publication of an untrue statement about a person which might bring him or her into contempt, ridicule, dislike or hostility in society.

Question 4

What is the Contempt of Court provision?

Answer 4

• This forbids the reporting, expressing of opinions or publication of material about cases which are in the process of being dealt with in a court of law and which is likely to jeopardise a fair trial.

Question 5

What is the Official Secrets Act?

Answer 5

• Makes it a criminal offence to report, without authorisation, any official government activity which the government defines as an official secret.

Question 6

What is Ofcom?

Answer 6

• A media regulator with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communication services.

Question 7

What are Ofcom’s responsibilities?

Answer 7

• Furthering the interests of consumers.
• Securing the best use of the radio spectrum.
• Ensuring a wide range of television, radio, electronic media and communications
  networks are available in the UK, with high quality services having a broad appeal.
• Protecting the public from any offensive or potentially harmful effects of broadcast
  media.
• Safeguarding people from being unfairly treated in television and radio programmes.

Question 8

What is the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)?

Answer 8

• This is an independent regulator for the newspaper and magazine industry in the UK established to replace the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) which was discredited by its inadequate response to the phone hacking scandal.

Question 9

What are the responsibilities of IPSO?

Answer 9

• Seeks to monitor and maintain the standards of journalism set out in the Editors’ code of practice.
  Deals with:
  –> Inaccuracy
  –> Invasion of privacy
  –> Intrusion into grief, shock and harassment
• Considers and investigates complaints about newspapers content that breach the standards and journalists behaviour.

Question 10

How do the governments influence and control media output?

Answer 10

1.) Leak official press conferences
2.) Leak and off the record briefings
3.) Use of government spin doctors
4.) Refusal to issue broadcasting licenses to whom it deem are unfit
5.) Refusal to allow the use of some forms of computer software and the use of surveillance software to block access to some internet sites
6.) Electronic surveillance of emails, monitoring of websites and intercepts of mobile calls. Electronic surveillance of emails, monitoring of websites and intercepts of mobile calls.

Question 11

What is the BBC trust, what is the role of them?

Answer 11

• The BBC is a largely state funded body, governed by the BBC Trust, regulated by it and Ofcom.
• Members are appointed by the Queen on advice from government ministers.
• Duty to represent the interests of license fee payers, and ensure the BBC remains independent.
• Financed through license fees and income from private companies –> state has some control by refusing to pay license fees.
• Not a private business with a focus to make a profit, but it does compete with commercial businesses by attracting audiences large enough to justify the license fee.