What are the Regulations of Media Industries

What is Media Regulation?

Media regulation refers to the rules and systems used to control or guide how media is produced, distributed, and consumed. Its purposes include:

• Maintaining standards in public service broadcasting.

• Protecting audiences, especially children and vulnerable groups, from harmful or offensive material.

• Promoting fair competition and innovation in the media industries.

• Balancing public protection with freedom of expression.

Types of regulation

• Self-regulation: Companies voluntarily follow a code of practice.

• Mandatory regulation: Enforced by government or legal authorities.

Key UK Media Regulators and Their Roles

• Ofcom.

• BBFC.

• PEGI.

• IPSO.

• ASA.

1. Ofcom (The Office of Communications)

Regulates: Television, radio, broadband, mobile networks, and online content.
Main roles:

• Ensures audiences are protected from inappropriate material.

• Handles complaints from the public about broadcasts.

• Oversees media ownership and ensures fair competition.

• Protects users online, particularly children and vulnerable people.

• Can take action if platforms fail to implement proper safety systems.

Established: 2003
Funded by: The companies it regulates.

2. BBFC (British Board of Film Classification)

Regulates: Films, trailers, DVDs, and streamed film content.
Main roles:

• Classifies content into age ratings (e.g., PG, 12, 15, 18).

• Helps protect children from unsuitable content.

• Enables viewers to make informed decisions about what they watch.

• Reviews films for violence, dangerous behavior, language, and abusive content.

• May suggest edits to help a film meet a specific age rating.

Examples:

• PG rating: No detailed depictions of dangerous or anti-social behavior, mild language, low sense of threat.

• 18 rating: Contains explicit violence, strong language, and criminal behavior—unsuitable for children.

3. PEGI (Pan European Game Information)

Regulates: Video game age ratings in the UK and across Europe.
Main roles:

• Assesses games based on age-appropriate content (not game difficulty).

• Provides labels and content descriptors to guide consumers and parents.

• Overseen in the UK by the Video Standards Council (VSC).

• PEGI 16 and 18 rated games often include violence, criminal activity, or explicit content.

Challenges:

• The volume of mobile games makes it difficult to pre-approve everything.

• The International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) uses automated systems for mobile game classification based on publisher questionnaires.

4. IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation)

Regulates: Most newspapers and magazines in the UK.
Main roles:

• Enforces the Editor’s Code of Practice.

• Ensures reporting is accurate, fair, and not misleading.

• Protects individual privacy from unjustified press intrusion.

• Prevents harassment, intimidation, and use of illegally acquired material.

• Can order corrections and fine publishers up to £1 million for serious breaches.

Purpose: To balance press freedom with ethical journalism and public accountability.

5. ASA (Advertising Standards Authority)

Regulates: All forms of advertising in the UK.
Main roles:

• Ensures ads are legal, truthful, and socially responsible.

• Responds to public complaints and can ban misleading or harmful advertisements.

• Works with the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) to enforce advertising codes.

Statistics:

• In 2020, the ASA resolved over 36,000 complaints involving more than 22,000 ads.