The statement published on Monday 8 July:
The newspaper and magazine industry today takes the first steps towards setting up the Independent Press Standards Organisation, the new regulator for the press called for by Lord Justice Leveson.
In his report, Leveson was very clear that it should be the job of the industry to address the failures of the past by creating a new regulator: “...by far the best solution to press standards would be a body, established and organised by the industry, which would provide genuinely independent regulation of its members....” (Leveson p.1758)
The draft constitutional documents published today begin that process by setting out the structure and rules of the new Independent Press Standards Organisation. The documents, drawn up by the Industry Implementation Group chaired by Paul Vickers, Group Legal Director of Trinity Mirror, will now be considered by all 200-plus newspaper and magazine publishers with a view to final agreement in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile the independent Foundation Group chaired by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, the former President of the Supreme Court, is already in position, ready to start the process of selecting the first members of the Appointment Panel for the new body.
The initiative has the support of Culture Secretary Maria Miller and the Government. The Culture Secretary told the industry at the end of May: “I would urge you... to continue with the work to set up the independent self-regulator as quickly as possible.”
The establishment of the Independent Press Standards Organisation does not depend on approval of a Royal Charter, as the Prime Minister made clear to Parliament on March 18: “The Royal Charter does not set up a self-regulator; that is for the press to do.”
This is important as the Royal Charter approval process, which begins this week with the setting-up of the Privy Council sub-committee, may take some months to complete. It is already eight months since Leveson delivered his report and the industry does not believe the public can be expected to wait longer before a new regulator is put in place.
The documents published today follow the criteria set out in the Royal Charter put forward by the industry, which is the only proposal under consideration by the Privy Council.
The Independent Press Standards Organisation will be a complete break with the past, and will deliver all the key Leveson recommendations:
• A majority of independent members at every level, and no industry veto on appointments (Articles of Association 22,26,27).
• The power to impose £1m fines for serious or systemic wrong-doing (Regulations 64, 65; Financial Sanctions Guidance 2).
• Upfront corrections and adjudications – whether editors like it or not. (Regulations 18-22).
• A standards and compliance arm with investigative powers to call editors to account. (Regulations 45-68).
• An Arbitration Service to offer a speedy and inexpensive alternative to the libel courts, subject to the successful conclusion of a pilot scheme (Scheme Membership Agreement 5.4).
• A whistleblowers’ hotline (Articles of Association 8.1.8, Scheme Membership Agreement 3.6).
• A warning service to alert the press, and other media such as broadcasters, when members of the public make it clear that they do not wish to be the subject of media attention.”
Early reaction to the industry statement:
The Society of Editors
Society of Editors welcomes move to set up new press body
Society of Editors Executive Director Bob Satchwell said today: “Editors will welcome moves to take plans for a new independent and more powerful press body forward. The steps announced today put flesh on the principles behind a new body agreed during and after the Leveson Inquiry.
“The new system will be able to earn the confidence of editors and the public and will quickly become effective. It will be independent and robust. It will have the ability to deal with any of the issues discussed over the last two years. It will have new powers including fines and it will be capable of dealing with rapid changes in the media industry.
“The industry needs this and so do the public. The process should not be interfered with by attempts to delay the adoption of the new system by those politicians and others who would prefer to neuter the press.
“Revelations over the past few months including those about the police and the health service show just how important it is to have a free and fearless media.”
The Society of Editors has more than 400 members in national regional and local newspapers, magazines, broadcasting, digital media, media law and journalism education.
Hacked Off
Responding to the announcement that the Press Standards Board of Finance is publishing draft constitutional documents to set up what it bills an “Independent Press Standards Organisation”, Professor Brian Cathcart, Executive Director of Hacked Off said: “This is no more than a cynical rebranding exercise, the latest rearguard action by press proprietors and editors who want to defy the will of Parliament and of the Leveson Inquiry. They are determined to hold on to the power to bully the public without facing any consequences.
“They have been told by Lord Justice Leveson and by Parliament that they must set up a self-regulator that meets basic standards of independence and effectiveness. What they are saying here is that they will not meet those standards but they will meet their own, which are appallingly low.
“The body behind this is PressBoF, a small, shadowy group of powerful press bosses who were condemned by Leveson for the cynical way they pretended for decades to run a regulator but in fact secretly ensured that nothing it did would ever challenge their power.
“These same people are currently, through their lawyers, doing all in their power to stall the final approval of the Royal Charter based on Leveson and agreed by all parties in Parliament on 18 March.
“By their actions they are telling the public that they are not answerable to judges, and not subject to the democratic will of Parliament. They are telling us that they are outlaws.
"Hacked Off, their many supporters and the victims of press abuses will continue their campaign to bring them to book.”
