Press complaints commission
The PCC (Press complaints commission regulate any public complaints administered regarding publications and the press. The organisation was founded in 1955 by Lord Wakeham. The PCC enforces its powers by responding to complaints by the general public. This complaints are deemed suitable if the editor has went against any morale or legal issues surrounding the press. These range from things such false information being published, harassment by journalists, libel, slander etc. After a complaint has been accepted the usual procedure is for the person involved to issue a letter of apology. This could be done publicly in a newspaper depending on the severity. After this the PCC will take steps to ensure the editor or journalist does not make the same mistake again.
The organisation has received much criticism for being far to lenient For example during the phone hacking scandal many MP's claimed the company was useless and weak. This is due to it being a voluntary regulatory body with no real legal powers. Due to this, the leveson enquiry started in order to further regulate the press. (An explanation of the leveson enquiry can be found in one of my earlier posts)
Ofcom
Ofcom (The office of communication) is an organisation that monitors the following :
- Television
- Radio
- Telecommunications
- Wireless communications
- Consumer protection law
When a person complains to Ofcom an investigation on the topic is normally undertaken. If after the investigation it turns out the broadcaster has breached any guidelines then sanctions will be given. This range depending on the severity of the offence. Often Ofcom can fine the producer or person. In very sever cases the broadcaster may be banned from broadcasting in the future for breaching the broadcasting license.
Recently Ofcom held an investigation into internet connection based on region and country. This was due to the fact many areas struggled getting high speed internet. As a result of the investigation Ofcom brought in new 'NGA' technology. This was to ensure everyone had the same amount of reliability and convenience regarding communications. They hold many investigations such as these in order to provide the public with a better communication service. Another example would be their investigation into 'Press TV'. This was when a journalist interviewed a prisoner by force. A full investigation was held and many law enforcement agencies such a MI6 were involved.
Advertising standards authority
The ASA is a self-regulating body which monitor the distribution of advertisements across the U.K. They regulate every form of ad ranging from physical billboards to online ads on the internet. The purpose of the company is to try to keep advertisements within the U.K professional and refrain advertisers causing potential harm to the public. They take thousands of complaints a year for a range of reasons. They normally deal with; potentially harmful material, obscene/offensive material and misleading information or false advertising. Deciding whether an advertisement is harmful is normally done through the UK advertising codes. These are a list of strict guidelines which define what is seen as acceptable or not acceptable based on the subject matter. The ASA normally refer to these when dealing with a case or compliant. If the advertiser is breaching the code then they will be forced to withdraw the product.
Two incidents involving the company apple breached this companies code of conduct. The first one being an advertising claiming their apple mac to be 'The worlds fastest personal computer'. This advertisement was banned due to it being misleading and not nesseceraly true. Another advertisement for their product the 'Iphone' was also banned for false claims which stated it could 'access al of the internet'. This was banned due to the iPhone's lack of flash player support meaning the advertisement was untrue.
Two incidents involving the company apple breached this companies code of conduct. The first one being an advertising claiming their apple mac to be 'The worlds fastest personal computer'. This advertisement was banned due to it being misleading and not nesseceraly true. Another advertisement for their product the 'Iphone' was also banned for false claims which stated it could 'access al of the internet'. This was banned due to the iPhone's lack of flash player support meaning the advertisement was untrue.
The British board of film classification
The BBFC regulate the publication and broadcast of films within the UK. They decide what the age rating will be on a film being sold on DVD or in cinema. The factors which the BBFC take into consideration when classifying a film are :
- Drug use and references
- Sex and nudity
- Horror
- Bad language
- Violence
Every film needs to be checked by the BBFC upon release. Therefore, any film sold that has not been checked and classified will be deemed as illegal. When the BBFC are checking a film they may have to make cuts if the scene is to extreme. A fine of up to £5000 can be administered to a person selling a classified film to someone under the age rating.
An example of the origination in action would be in the 60's when the film rebel without a cause was cut. This was due to the fact it encouraged 'Teenage rebellion'. In it's early years the company received much criticism for incidents such as this. This was due to people believing they were being to strict. However, lately the company has began to relax more based of many of the public's criticism For example scenes depicting hardcore sex are now acceptable if they have an adult R18 rating. Another example would be the film 'Anti-Christ'. This gained much controversy when the BBFC let it go through to box office uncut. Due to the extreme scenes such as self mutilation and real sex many complaints were sent to the BBFC. Many critics commented that the company had failed there duty to the public by allowing such a film to be released. Although, it still was released the BBFC claim that 'The extremity' of the film is made apparent to viewers before watching the film.
Performing Rights Society
The performing rights society regulate the distribution of music and its royalties to songwriters and artist. Their purpose is to make sure writers and composers are treat fairly for their work in terms of copyright and royalties. The organisation regulates music in the form of recorded media, online, broadcasting and public performance. They control the royalties in which song writers and composers get for when their piece of music is played. The money in which the artist is paid by PRS comes from license fees. This is the companies source of income and which gives them the money to pay artists. A licence is needed to be bought for businesses to play music within their building. The cost of this license varies on the size of the building, the amount of people within it and how many music players they are. Failure to adhere to the organisations code of conduct which includes the legal requirement of owning a license, will have consequences For example if a business is playing music without a license then a PRS representative will visit the premises. They will make sure the owner is not infringing copyright by playing PRS regulated music. The owner or landlord will usually be charged for damages depending on the severity of the situation.
An example of PRS's code of conduct being breached, would be a case in 2007. A Scottish car company were took to court due to the fact the radio could be heard by colleagues. Anther would be a case regarding 11 police stations. These buildings also were not paying a license and were forced to pay damages for copyright infringement.
An example of the origination in action would be in the 60's when the film rebel without a cause was cut. This was due to the fact it encouraged 'Teenage rebellion'. In it's early years the company received much criticism for incidents such as this. This was due to people believing they were being to strict. However, lately the company has began to relax more based of many of the public's criticism For example scenes depicting hardcore sex are now acceptable if they have an adult R18 rating. Another example would be the film 'Anti-Christ'. This gained much controversy when the BBFC let it go through to box office uncut. Due to the extreme scenes such as self mutilation and real sex many complaints were sent to the BBFC. Many critics commented that the company had failed there duty to the public by allowing such a film to be released. Although, it still was released the BBFC claim that 'The extremity' of the film is made apparent to viewers before watching the film.
Performing Rights Society
The performing rights society regulate the distribution of music and its royalties to songwriters and artist. Their purpose is to make sure writers and composers are treat fairly for their work in terms of copyright and royalties. The organisation regulates music in the form of recorded media, online, broadcasting and public performance. They control the royalties in which song writers and composers get for when their piece of music is played. The money in which the artist is paid by PRS comes from license fees. This is the companies source of income and which gives them the money to pay artists. A licence is needed to be bought for businesses to play music within their building. The cost of this license varies on the size of the building, the amount of people within it and how many music players they are. Failure to adhere to the organisations code of conduct which includes the legal requirement of owning a license, will have consequences For example if a business is playing music without a license then a PRS representative will visit the premises. They will make sure the owner is not infringing copyright by playing PRS regulated music. The owner or landlord will usually be charged for damages depending on the severity of the situation.
An example of PRS's code of conduct being breached, would be a case in 2007. A Scottish car company were took to court due to the fact the radio could be heard by colleagues. Anther would be a case regarding 11 police stations. These buildings also were not paying a license and were forced to pay damages for copyright infringement.
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