The British public supports independent regulation and accountability for the UK’s news publishers by an organisation separate to both the government and the industry itself, according to new polling by YouGov for the Press Recognition Panel (PRP), the independent body which oversees the system of press self-regulation in the UK.The research, conducted in the wake of ITV phone hacking drama The Hack, explores whether unethical press practices persist in today’s media landscape. It reveals that the public believes instances of press intrusion, publishing false or misleading information, or failing to represent individuals and groups fairly have become more common. The events in the series led to the Leveson Inquiry and subsequent industry-led steps to curb wrongdoing.Headline findings from the report include: |
Support for a fully independent system of regulationAround four in five (82%) support major news sources – including newspapers, magazines, and online outlets – being regulated. Over half (54%) believe the press should be regulated by a fully independent body, with one in five (22%) supporting regulation by a government-backed regulator like Ofcom, and just 3% saying it should be carried out by an industry-led body – an example of this would be IPSO. When it comes to complaints resolution, just 4% say an industry body should be the final arbiter, compared to around 8 in 10 (76%) who say it should be a fully independent regulator (45%) or a statutory body not linked to the industry (31%).Feelings that breaches of ethics are becoming more commonplaceFour in five respondents believe journalists often invade people’s privacy and 7 in 10 (72%) say the press often publishes false or misleading information and fails to correct mistakes. Despite the measures put in place by the industry following the Leveson Inquiry, 6 in 10 people believe the press publishing false or misleading information (63%) and failing to treat individuals and groups fairly (60%) is becoming more common.Perceptions of bias and influenceAround 8 in 10 believe politicians (77%) and rich people (83%) have a big or very big influence on the press. Three-quarters (79%) believe politicians and the press often make informal arrangements or ‘deals’ for more favourable coverage or political influence.Unequal treatment of the ordinary publicOnly one in four respondents say the press pays attention to complaints from ordinary members of the public, while four in five believe complaints from rich people would get attention. Only one in five (21%) think an ordinary person would receive a correction to a false or misleading story, compared with around two-thirds who believe a celebrity (62%) or politician (65%) would. Over half (60%) say they are not confident they would know where to make a complaint if they wanted to complain about a news story they thought was unfair or inaccurate. |
Kathryn Cearns OBE, Chair of the Press Recognition Panel, said:”This research shows a clear public demand for press regulation that is independent, effective, and accountable, and overwhelming opposition to industry-run models such as IPSO acting as the regulator and final arbitrator of complaints.”The issues raised in ITV’s The Hack are not confined to the past. Despite the Leveson Inquiry and subsequent industry-led changes, most people think press intrusion and the publication of misleading information are actually increasing and that ordinary people would struggle to get redress when things go wrong. A large majority view the current system as biased in favour of the rich and powerful and that politicians and the press do deals with each other in return for favourable coverage.”The public want change. The framework for genuinely independent regulation already exists, but successive governments have reneged on pledges to properly back it, with most of the press choosing not to participate as a result. That leaves the industry operating without proper accountability and the public unprotected. For the sake of the victims of press harm, and to prevent further erosion of public trust in the press at a time when people are turning to an array of unregulated sources for news, we can’t allow this drift to continue.”The PRP is calling on news publishers to join a recognised independent regulator, work towards reforming IPSO so that it can meet the Royal Charter criteria, or come together to form a new body that could seek recognition. It is also urging the Government to play its part by encouraging news publishers to make this change and exploring further measures to promote accountability and protect the public from press harm.The PRP is also inviting people and organisations to share their views through its ongoing Call for Information on press regulation in the UK. The responses will inform its next Annual Report on the Recognition System and help identify practical steps to strengthen accountability and public confidence at a time when concern about press standards is high.Read the full YouGov polling report. |
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