All but two IPSO member publishers stay with regulator for next five years

All but two members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation have signed up to stay with the regulator for another five years.

IPSO, the UK’s largest press regulator, announced on its fifth anniversary today that 81 publishers will remain on board until 2024.

Only financial news service City Wire and specialist publisher Connect are leaving IPSO at the end of its first term.

Most major national and regional publishers are signed up to IPSO, with the notable exceptions of the Guardian, Observer, Financial Times, Evening Standard and Independent, which all chose to regulate themselves.

IPSO chief executive Matt Tee (pictured) said: “Five years ago, few would have believed that we would make such determined progress in establishing effective regulation of the press.

“We set out to protect the public and bolster freedom of expression, and I am confident that IPSO is now achieving far more than most thought possible.

“It is pleasing that all major publishers have chosen to remain part of IPSO – making a commitment to robust independent regulation and demonstrating that in an era of increasing disinformation and ‘fake news’, IPSO membership is a mark of quality, responsible journalism.”

IPSO-regulated publishers sign up to legally-enforceable contracts for five years at a time.

The contract state they must follow the standards set out in the Editors’ Code of Practice, comply with IPSO’s rulings, submit an annual compliance report and ensure proper complaints handling processes are in place.

IPSO launched in September 2014 to replace the Press Complaints Commission after the conclusion of the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics.

However alternative press regulator Impress is the only body recognised under the state-backed Royal Charter system.

Impress now regulates more than 130 independent UK news titles, including Bellingcat and The Canary, but counts digital and print publications twice in some instances.

Picture: IPSO

Topics in this article : IPSO