Regulation is a rule that has been set by a higher authority that must be followed. The media have certain regulations to stop them from showing explicit images and explicit, offensive, bias, manipulative and inappropriate articles. If there was no regulations for the press we would most likely see explicit images and explicit, offensive, bias, manipulative and inappropriate articles aimed at celebrities, the government and politicians. How ever if there was too much regulation the journalists wouldn’t be able to investigate stories thoroughly and expose frauds, corrupt leaders and politicians.
There are two types of regulation; self regulation and statutory regulation. Self regulation is where the company sets its own rules and regulations. Statutory regulation is where an outside body/authority place the rules and regulations on the company.
In 2005 the news of the world released an article stating that Prince William was borrowing a portable editing suite from ITV correspondent Tom Bradby. There were also some appointments that got leaked. After this the prince and Bradby concluded that the princes voice mails were being accessed. The police set up an investigation and searched Mulcaires home and found 11,000 pages of handwritten notes listing nearly 4,000 celebrities, politicians, sports stars, police officials and crime victims whose phones may have been hacked. The names included eight members of the royal family and their staff. There were dozens of notebooks, two computers containing 2,978 complete or partial mobile phone numbers and 91 PIN codes, plus 30 tape recordings made by Mulcaire. The notes were only on peoples personal life and not things that would help anyone. It was important because it triggered the Leverson Inquiry.
The Leverson Inquiry was a judicial inquiry following the phone hacking scandal it suggested a new, independent, body to replace the press complaints comission. It was done because there were no media laws stopping the news of the world from hacking celebrities and civilians phones allowing them to get personal information on them.
The two press regulators are IPSO and IMPRESS.
Kyle Graham-West's Website 