IPSO has published its Annual Report for 2022. They say it covers their work across different functions including Complaints, Standards and Regulation and Communications.
2022 was a pivotal year for IPSO: The Annual Report 2022 details how IPSO developed its five-year corporate strategy for 2023-2028. The strategy sets out how IPSO is delivering its core purpose of protecting the public and freedom of expression, by upholding high editorial standards.
In addition, the report covers the independent assessment of IPSO’s work carried out by former senior civil servant Sir Bill Jeffrey, who found that the organisation had ‘influenced the industry for the better’.
IPSO says The Jeffrey Review also identified areas for them to consider that could further increase their transparency and accessibility as a regulator. In response to the Review’s recommendations, they say they have included fresh data on the timeliness of their complaints service and comments from complainants about their experiences of engaging with them in the annual report. Most remaining recommendations, such as how to communicate IPSO’s Arbitration Service, are being considered, or taken forward as part of projects such as the upcoming redesign of their website. IPSO says it will issue a full response and progress report on the implementation of accepted recommendations shortly.
At the end of 2022, IPSO received over 25,000 complaints about a comment piece about the Duchess of Sussex, the highest number in their history about a single story. The piece was published by The Sun and written by Jeremy Clarkson.
The Annual Report details how IPSO responded to the complaints and the ruling made in this case by the Complaints Committee: the article contained prejudicial and pejorative language about the sex of the Duchess.
The Chair of IPSO, Lord Faulks KC, said: “We are pleased to publish the IPSO Annual Report 2022, which was a year of change for the organisation. As well as publishing our new corporate strategy and dealing with the biggest ever complaint in IPSO’s history, we were encouraged by Sir Bill Jeffrey’s review of our work. I would like to pay tribute to the staff at IPSO for their work and commitment.”
IPSO Chief Executive, Charlotte Dewar said: “The process of preparing this report has given us the opportunity to reflect on an extraordinary year for IPSO. We published a five-year strategy setting out how we would build on the expertise and experience we have accumulated during our first eight years. Our work and processes were put under the microscope by Sir Bill Jeffrey, leading to a useful set of suggestions for areas in which we can further improve. As the year was coming to a close, we dealt with the single biggest complaint in our history.”
The Annual Report highlights IPSO’s efforts to promote editorial standards such as publishing formal guidance for editors on due prominence of corrections in print media, social media and court reporting. For the public, IPSO’s team produced information on the reporting of domestic abuse.
To read the full report, click here.
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