The Press Complaints Committee As I am producing a professional magazine there are some rules and regulations that I need to keep in mind

Accuracy

•The press must not publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information. This includes images

•Any misleading or inaccurate information or imagery must be swiftly corrected and followed by a published apology

•The press although free must know the distinct difference between comment, conjecture and fact

Opportunity to reply

•A fair opportunity for replies must be given when called for

Privacy

•Everyone is entitled to the privacy of his or her family and home life, health and other correspondence including digital communications.

•If an editor is to invade private life account will be taken of the complaint.

• It is unacceptable to photograph others in private places without their consent

Harassment

•Journalist must not harass an individual, this includes persistent pursuit and intimidation

•They must not continue to photograph, pursue, telephone or question someone onece asked to stop.

•If asked for they must identify themselves and who they work for.

Intrusion into grief or shock

•In cases involving personal grief or shock enquiries should be met with a level of sympathy and sensitivity.

Children

•Young people should be free to complete their time at school without unnecessary intrusion.

•A child under 16 must not be interviewed, photographed on issues involving another Childs welfare.

Children in sex cases

•Press must not identify children under 16 who are victims or witnesses of sex offences

•The child must not be identified •The adult may be identified •The word incest must not be used where a

child victim might be identified

Hospitals

•Journalists must obtain permission from a responsible executive before entering non public areas of hospitals or similar institutions

Reporting of crime

•Relatives or friends or persons convicted of crime should generally be identified without their consent unless they are genuinely relevant to the story.

•Regard should be paid towards the victim or victims of the crime.

Clandestine devices and subterfuge

•The press must not seek to obtain information using hidden cameras or microphones. They must not intercept calls messages or emails.

Victims of sexual assult

•The press must not identify victims of sexual assault or publish any material that would contribute towards the identification of the person

discrimination

•The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to a persons race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, mental illness or disability.

•Details of the above must be avoided unless relevant to the story

Financial journalism

•Even where the law does not prohibit it journalists must not use their own profit financial information they receive before it general publication

Confidential sources

•Journalists have a moral obligation to protect confidential sources of infomation

Witness payments in criminal trials •No payments or offer of payment to a

witness. •The prohibition lasts until the suspect has

been freed unconditionally without charge or bail or has entered a guilty plea in court.

•While proceedings are not yet active but are in the foreseeable future editors must not make or offer payments to any person who may reasonably be expected to be called as a witness

Payment to criminals

•Payment or offers of payments for stories, pictures of information which seek to exploit a particular crime

•Editors invoking the public interest to justify payments or offers would need to demonstrate that there was good reason to believe the public interest would be served