Media Guidlines

Regularity Body

A regularity body sets out rules for media producers to follow when they are making a media product. They also control the censorship that should be included in the media product.

Ofcom

1.
Ofcom looks after the TV and radio and mobile sectors the rules. They also decide the content that is broadcasted on television and radio. They also look at complaints by sent in by the public about the content that is been broadcasted on the TV or radio.

2.

Ofcom was announced in the Queen's speech of in June 2001 It was to replace several other bodies to look after the sectors:

• The Broadcasting Standards Commission
• The Independent Television Commission
• The Office Of Telecommunications
• The Radio Authority
• The Radio communications Agency

3.

To enforce its regularity powers Ofcom has a set of rules that companies must follow

Here are some rules that mobile companies have to follow.

4.

Ofcom has the power to fine companies if they break consumer rules. In 2011 TalkTalk and Tiscali UK were fined £3 million for breaking consumer rules.

ASA

1. ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) look after adverts across all media.

2. In 1955 advertisements were controlled by legislation then in 1961 the Advertising Association discussed with other associations that it was important the adverts were welcomed by media consumers in non-broadcast media too. In 1962, CAP (Comitee Of Advertising Practice) established the ASA as the independent adjudicator. It was set up to help and supervise the self-regulatory system in the public interest.

3. The ASA has rules and regulations that adverts must follow. The ASA regulate adverts to see if they break the rules and if they do they take appropriate action.

4. If a advert breaks the ASA's rules then the advert is pulled or it has to be altered.

An example of a banned advert was a red bull advert with the Titanic on it

This advert was banned because with the ship being the Titanic and the slogan " Red Bull gives you wings" It suggests they would have been ok.

 

PCC

1. The Press Complaints Commission looks after the publishing sector.

2. In 1953 the Press council was established with aim of maintaining high standards of ethics in journalism. In 1980 newspapers were breaking these standards. The Home Office set up another committee led by David Calcutt to investigate if a body with legal powers should be set up to regulate the industry. In June 1990 the report was published and concluded that a body with a published code of conduct should be given 18 months to prove the effectiveness of the body if it fails a legally empowered body would replace it. Other members of the press trying to avoid external regulation formed the PCC and it's code of practice.

3. The PCC has it's code of practice to for editors to follow when publishing a story the look at these aspects:

• Accuracy
• Opportunity to reply
• Privacy
• Harassment
• Intrusion into grief and shock
• Children
• Children in sex cases
• Hospitals
• Reporting Of Crime
• Clandestine devices and subterfuge
• Victims of sexual assault
• Discrimination
• Financial journalism
• Confidential sources
• Witness payments in criminal trials
• Payment to criminals

4. If someone breaks the code then an apology is given, a factual correction is made or even editors can lose their jobs.



BBFC

1. The BBFC looks after the film industry.

2. The BBFC was formed in 1912 as the British the British Board of Film Censors by the film industry. It began operating on 1 January 1913. Its legal basis was the Cinematograph Act 1909, which required that cinemas were to have licences from local authorities. The film industry therefore formed the BBFC in order to establish its own system of self-regulation. In 1984 the organisation changed its name. At that time it was given responsibility to classify videos to hire or purchase for view in the home as well as films shown in cinema.

3. Film and DVD age rating decisions are reached by the Director, the President and the two Vice-Presidents taking responsibility. Examiners watch films for cinema release in special BBFC's cinemas. With each work the examiners look at specific details including:

• general context - plot, characters, outline of individual scenes
• timings of key moments, including camera angles, type of shots, on- and off-screen moments
• bad language, sex and drug references and so on

The reports include a brief synopsis of the work, details of the issues and an argument in support of the recommended age rating most decisions that are made are straightforward



BBC


The BBC has it's own editorial guidlines setup. Here are what they focus on:

• Accuracy
• Impartiality
• Harm and Offence
• Fairness, Contributers, Consent
• Privacy
• Reporting Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour
• Children and young people as contributers
• Politics, Public, policcy and polls
• War, Terror and Emergancy
• Religion
• Re-Use and Reversioning
• Editorial Integrityand Independance fromExternal Interests
• Conflicts of interests
• External Relationships and funding
• Interacting with audience
• The Law
• Accountability

 

 ITV

 

 

ITV has it's own producer guidlines setup. Some of the things they focus on having the right equipment, where does the equipment nee to go, delivery of programe material.

Channel 4

Channel 4 has it's own editorial guidlines setup. Here are what they focus on:

• The Law
• Regulation
• Online Editorial Procedures
• Editorial Responsibility
• Editorial Referral - Up Process
• Online Consumer Protection
• Guidlines for content types
• Training