Standardisation of the Press2 min read

At the centre of debate since the late 20th century, the news media has been a powerful tool in spreading information worldwide.

From leaks to scandal coverage, the press has a strong foot in maintaining its role of the Fourth Estate – bringing the hidden into the light.

Their role as the world’s watchdog have brought down politicians and exposed high status figures for dirt they’ve tried to cover up.

There are cases however in which the press has been seen as perpetrators when discussing serious matters in the world.

News outlets have found themselves in trouble time and again for breach of confidence, spreading false information and promoting hate/fear-mongering.

As a result of these factors, the press has gained backlash from both the people and the authorities.

One of the prime examples in recent years was Katie Hopkins views on The Sun in 2015 about the migrant crisis, where she compared those fleeing from places likes Syria as ‘cockroaches’.

The United Nations’ Human Rights panel denounced Hopkins for her “inflammatory and unacceptable” words, urging the UK government to take action on papers including The Sun and The Daily Mail.

Though the British government have taken action against the press before in the form of the Data Protection Act, news outlets still get away with writing obscene content due to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).

The organisation was established after the infamous phone hacking scandal to standardise content produced and data acquired in the UK but faces one major problem. It’s self-regulated.

What this means is that majority of the time, articles that stir controversy are still up for viewing amongst the general public with the notion of freedom of speech.

The problem with regulating the press is trying to identify the line between satire and hate speech as well as the consequences for coverage of serious topics.

Many believe that punishment should be given to those who spew hate and falsehood with the use of media in the form of fines and bans.

Having a free press is a core trait to a developed country and by restricting what type of content is published, some may think that the UK is going backwards, resembling the traits of a regime rather than a democracy.

An effective way to standardise the press is boycotting and pressure on sponsors by the general public.

Many news outlets’ income is fuelled by a whole variety of sponsorships.

Should they back out due to public concern, newspapers will be pressured to change their ways in fear of losing money.

Living in a world dominated by money, using their own power against them will surely bring change in press regulation.