The Daily Mirror: Newspaper Regulation

Question 1

Who regulates The Daily Mirror?

Answer 1

• The Daily Mirror is part of a regulatory framework known as the Independent Press Standards Organisation
  (IPSO).

Question 2

What is IPSO?

Answer 2

• An independent body which is not backed by the government and is fully funded by the industry itself.
• This is a regulatory body that maintains press standards but is anti-Leveson in its approach.

Question 3

How often has The Mirror been chastised by IPSO?

Answer 3

-The Mirror has found itself chastised by this body on multiple occasions however, including:
- Libelling Frankie Boyle by calling him a racist, defamation of airline Ryanair’s safety procedures,
- a (false) claim of drunken behaviour of Cristiano Ronaldo in a nightclub,
- a libel case claiming Kate Garraway was having an affair, etc

Question 4

Relevant Theory: Curran and Seaton, Power & Media Industries

Answer 4

• Initially, there were concerns about the deal that brought about the new company Reach PLC, which was investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority.
• The concentrated ownership model of the newspaper industry means that audiences receive a narrow range of viewpoints; indeed, the Daily Mirror is a relatively lone voice in a largely right-wing press.
• Reach PLC has maintained their position in the UK market despite falling sales of the Daily Mirror and other mainstream titles by diversifying into regional news.
• This diverse pattern of ownership has allowed them to create the conditions for more varied and adventurous media products.

Question 5

Relevant Theory: Livingstone and Lunt, Regulation

Answer 5

• Reach PLC is facing increasing pressure alongside the rest
  of the UK press industry to adhere to strict rules and regulations on industry practice.
• This pressure arose after the phone hacking scandal and subsequent Leveson enquiry into the industry.
• There is an underlying issue of
  protecting citizens from harmful material while ensuring choice and press freedom.
• The very nature of the claims made during the Leveson enquiry (and the significant changes made to the UK newspaper industry) highlight this.

Question 6

Relevant Theory: David Hesmondhalgh, Cultural Industries

Answer 6

• Reach PLC is one of the UK’s largest newspaper publishers and has become a horizontally integrated company with a wide range of titles in order to maximise audiences and minimise risks.
• Rather than seeing digital media as a threat, the company has embraced its digital expansionand now offers digital marketing as well as digital classifieds to generate additional income.
• They have also introduced a subscription of £6.99 for a tablet edition of the newspaper with an introductory offer of two free months.