Media Regulation

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

Systems of regulation are required to provide rules and regulations to ensure that organisations operate fairly. 

2) What is OFCOM responsible for?

OFCOM is responsible for regulating television,radio,telephone services and some aspects of the internet.OFCOM is also responsible for granting licences to TV and Radio stations. 

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?

1. Protecting the under eighteens- i believe that this is one of the most important sections of the broadcasting code as under eighteens should have restricted access of what they view on the internet for their own safety and should be protected.

2. Privacy- This is another important section of the broadcasting code as i believe everyone has to have privacy with what they view on the internet as well as certain private details about a persons whereabouts or personal information should not be showcased on the internet instead it should be private and hidden from the public. 

3. Crime- I believe this is an important section of the broadcasting code as OFCOM should be careful with what they publish/showcase on the internet depending what audience views the programme. In addition especially since certain topics can cause a moral panic within an audience such as a nearby murder happening. 

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

Yes Channel 4 was wrong to broadcast 'Wolverine' at 6:55pm on a Sunday evening as research showed that it is still a time when children would be watching and the film consisted of violence, blood etc which is clearly not a suitable film to be showcased for children and before the watershed. 

5) List five of the sections in the old Press Complaints Commission's Code of Practice. 

-Privacy

-Harassment 

-Reporting of a crime

-Children

-Discrimination

6) Why was the Press Complaints Commission criticised?

The lack of statutory powers means that when a newspaper has been found to breah the rules, the best a victim can hope for is an apology, which often does not get sufficient prominence in the paper. Critics also argue that many newspapers seem to fly in the face of the rules on a pretty regular basis and that very little is done to  stop them.

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

 The Leveson enquiry was an inquiry into the culture,practice and ethics of the press as a result of the phone hacking scandal where a reporter and investigator intercepted phone calls connected to the royal family. 

8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?

In 2014 PCC was replaced by the 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?

In my opinion newspapers should face statutory regulation like TV and radio as newspapers report on all certain topics and newspapers should have boundaries like TV and radio and not be allowed to publish whatever they feel like publishing. 

10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate?

The internet makes content available from all over the world so laws passed in the UK aiming to regulate the internet may not be effective against material being hosted in other parts of the world.