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PRESS RECOGNITION PANEL BOARD MEETING

52nd meeting of the Press Recognition Panel 9:00, Monday 28 September 2020 Online

AGENDA

Indicative timings Public session

1. Welcome Chair 09:00

2. Apologies for absence Chair 09:00

3. Declarations of interest Chair 09:00

4. Minutes of the meeting held on 25 August 2020, outstanding actions and matters arising Chair 09:00 – 09:05 For noting

5. Chief Executive’s report – September 2020 SU 09:05 – 09:10 Paper PRP30(20) For noting

6. Finance report – August 2020 SU 09:10 – 09:15 Paper PRP31(20) For noting

7. Any other business and close of public session Chair 09:15 – 09:20 Including comments from the floor

Confidential session

8. Minutes of the meeting held on 25 August 2020, outstanding actions and matters arising Chair 09:20 – 09:25 For noting

9. Chief Executive’s report – September 2020 SU 09:25 – 09:30 Paper PRP30(20) For noting

10. Board succession planning - Chair 09:30 – 10:00 Board appointments Paper PRP32(20) For decision

11. Any other business and close of meeting Chair 10:00 – 10:05

Date and time of next meeting: 30 October 2020, starting at 10:00. Location: Mappin House, 4 Winsley Street, London W1W 8HF Draft

PRESS RECOGNITION PANEL

Minutes of the 51st meeting of the Press Recognition Panel Board held on 25 August 2020 online

Present: David Wolfe QC (Chair), Harry Cayton and Emma Gilpin Jacobs,

Apologies: Carolyn Regan and Harry Rich

In attendance: Susie Uppal (Chief Executive), Saima Ansari, Paul Nezandonyi, and Adam Gibbs

BOARD MEETING – PUBLIC SESSION

Welcome

1. The Chair welcomed Members and attendees to the fifty first meeting of the Press Recognition Panel.

Declaration of members’ interests

2. Board member Harry Cayton advised that with effect from 17 August 2020, he had been appointed as an independent board member of Vectorleap Holdings Inc.

Minutes of the meeting held on 7 July 2020, outstanding actions and matters arising

3. The minutes of the meeting held on 7 July 2020 and previously circulated were noted as factually correct and agreed.

4. The Board noted that there were no other matters arising that were not covered elsewhere on the Agenda.

Chief Executive’s report – July 2020 – Paper PRP24(20)

5. The Board noted the contents of the CEO report covering the period to the

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end of July 2020 and the management accounts up to 30 June 2020 with thanks. The report had been circulated by email to the Board on 3 August 2020.

Chief Executive’s report – August 2020 – Paper PRP25(20)

6. The Board noted the contents of the CEO report providing an update on Executive activity since the July 2020 and the external matters update with thanks. The Chair noted that had undertaken research to examine people’s news consumption of, and attitudes towards, different types of content on different platforms. Details of the findings were to be shared with the Board for wider information.

7. Post meeting note: The Executive provided the following link to the Board: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/tv-radio-and-on- demand/news-media/news-consumption

8. During the Board succession update, the Chair explained that he had made himself available to answer any questions that the shortlisted candidates had prior to the upcoming interviews in September. The candidates were offered the opportunity to speak to the Chair if they wished but not everyone had taken up that offer. The Chair observed that the nature of the questions had been similar and that they were mainly about the PRP and the future potential landscape. The Selection Panel, as supported by the Independent member of the Nominations Committee Cindy Butts, Green Park representatives and the Executive, had noted that there was a strong appointable candidate pool. It was observed that it was an all- female shortlist.

Finance report - July 2020 - Paper PRP26(20)

9. The Executive purchased a Dell laptop on 8 July 2020 through its IT service provider, Comis, for £1,564.80 inclusive of delivery, labour costs and VAT. The PRP currently applies the accounting policy that in the case of fixed assets, items are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £1,000. The Board noted that further to JS2’s advice, the Chief Executive and the ARC recommended the increase in capitalisation threshold to £2,000 in line with other similar sized organisations. The Board agreed that the increase was reasonable and proportionate.

10. The Board noted the latest financial position and the management accounts for the period ending 31 July 2020, presented on the basis of the agreed increased capitalisation accounting policy. The deficit for the period to date is £28,726 against the year to date budget of £32,835.

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Any other business and close of public session

11. None raised.

BOARD MEETING – CONFIDENTIAL SESSION

Minutes of the meeting held on 7 July 2020, outstanding actions and matters arising

12. The confidential section of the Minutes were recorded as factually correct and agreed.

13. The Board noted that there were no other matters arising that were not covered elsewhere on the Agenda.

Chief Executive’s report – August 2020 – Paper PRP25(20)

14.- Redacted. 17.

Audit and Risk Committee terms of reference – Paper PRP27(20)

18. The Board discussed the ARC’s recommendation in relation to removing the duty stated at paragraph 14 of its terms of reference: ‘review the operation of the Board’s governance framework’. The Board agreed that this overall duty was fulfilled by the Board on an annual basis and accepted the deletion from the ARC’s terms of reference for clarity.

Risk register review - Paper PRP28(20)

19. The Board reviewed the risk register and agreed the updates as highlighted. The Board considered the ARC’s recommendation in respect of reducing the frequency of the reviews from quarterly to biannual. It was noted that the ARC would continue to critically evaluate the register at every meeting and that the ARC minutes would continue to be provided to the Board for information. Should there be any matters that require urgent consideration as part of the ARC’s review, these would be brought to the Board’s attention at the following Board meeting. The Board agreed to review the register twice a year in April and October.

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Paper on the annual report on the recognition system - Paper PRP29(20)

20. The Board discussed a paper that provided the Board with an opportunity to discuss the scope and content of the PRP’s 2020 report on the recognition system.

21. - Redacted. 30

31. Any other business and close of confidential session

32. The Chair stated that in principle, the next Board meeting would take place at Mappin House, circumstances permitting. This meeting would also be a transition meeting with the new Board members.

Date and time of next meeting

33. The next scheduled meeting of the Board will take place at 10:00 on 30 October 2020, Mappin House 4 Winsley Street, London W1W 8HF.

Drafted: Saima Ansari Executive Administration Manager

Signed: David Wolfe QC Chair

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PRESS RECOGNITION PANEL BOARD

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT – SEPTEMBER 2020

Meeting: 28 September 2020 Status: for noting

Lead responsibility: Susie Uppal, Contact details: 020 3443 7072 Chief Executive

Purpose

1. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update to the Board on Executive activity since the August 2020 CE report.

2. The Board is invited to note the contents of the Chief Executive’s report.

Executive summary

3. The Board is being updated in respect of organisational and financial matters.

Delivery updates

IMPRESS update

4. Redacted.

Board succession update

5. The Selection Panel, consisting of the Chair and Board member Carolyn Regan with the Independent member Cindy Butts in an advisory capacity, interviewed the shortlisted candidates on 16 and 17 September 2020. The Board will consider the Selection Panel’s recommendations under a separate Agenda item at the meeting on 28 September 2020.

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Stakeholder engagement update

6. On 14 September 2020, the Chair met with Lord Lipsey and a cross-party group of Peers who are interested in press regulation. The Chair provided an update on the work of the PRP. He was accompanied by Board Member Harry Cayton, Paul Nezandonyi and me.

7. On 24 September 2020, the Chair received a letter from John Whittingdale, Minister of State for Media and Data. A copy of the letter is attached at Annex A.

Annual report on the recognition system

8. The call for information on the recognition system launched on 8 September 2020. It will close on 21 October 2020. A copy of the documentation is attached at Annex B. Details were sent to PRP stakeholders and parliamentarians.

Research update

9. Annex C includes an update on key external matters relevant to our work.

Implications

10. The implications of decisions taken by the Board as set out in this paper are as follows:

• Budget – There are no specific implications in addition to the issues referenced.

• Legislation – no specific implications.

• Resources – any resourcing considerations are referenced and there are no specific implications other than these.

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – no specific implications.

Devolved nations

11. There are no implications/differences in relation to the areas of work covered in this paper and the devolved nations.

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Communications

12. There are no other issues to report which have communications implications, so far as I am aware.

Risks

13. There are a range of risks involved in the areas of work covered in this Paper.

14. A robust and defensible position in relation to the PRP’s finances is required in order to avoid reputational damage and to ensure compliance with HM Treasury’s Managing Public Money.

Recommendations

15. The Board is asked to note the contents of the Chief Executive’s report.

Attachments

Annex A – Letter to the Chair from John Whittingdale, Minister of State for Media and Data Annex B – Call for information on the recognition system 2020 Annex C – External matters update

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Call for information on the effectiveness and independence of press regulation in the UK – September 2020

Introduction

The independent Press Recognition Panel (PRP) was established in 2014 to oversee press regulation in the UK. We support and promote a free press whilst protecting the interests of the public.

We were set up following the (2011-2012) into the culture, practices and ethics of the press, in the light of , press intrusion and other criminal activity. Victims of the press included ordinary members of the public as well as celebrities and high- profile individuals.

In his report, Lord Justice Leveson proposed a genuinely independent and effective system of self-regulation with politics playing no part in it. The recognition system was devised in response and each year the PRP reports on the extent to which the system has succeeded in its aims.

We plan to publish our next report early in 2021. To help inform our thinking, we are gathering views from anyone with an interest in the regulation of the press and news publishers, including the public, journalists, academics, news publishers, media organisation, politicians and campaigners.

Background

The range of news publications available in the UK is diverse and includes international, national, regional, local, hyperlocal titles, operating across both print and online, and social media news publishers. The Leveson Inquiry and the new system of regulation considered the full range of news publishers that exist today.

Our Royal Charter gives us a unique independence. The Charter itself can only be changed by a two-thirds majority of those who vote in the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Scottish Parliament, and with the unanimous agreement of our Board. The Charter prevents politicians, the press, news publishers and others from interfering with our work and decisions.

The Charter sets out 29 criteria based on Leveson’s recommendations. The criteria are part of a scheme of recognition which embodies what the Leveson report considered to be the necessary minimum requirements for effective press regulators.

We consider applications from regulators of the press and news publishers who voluntarily apply to be assessed against the recognition criteria. IMPRESS applied and in October 2016, we recognised them as an approved regulator.

IMPRESS is currently the only approved regulator. They regulate 157 publications. There can be more than one approved regulator.

Most national and almost all local belong to a body called IPSO. A significant number of news publishers belong to neither IMPRESS nor IPSO.

1 Lord Leveson anticipated that incentives would be required to encourage the press and news publishers to form or sign up to approved regulators while at the same time offering an alternative route to access to justice in relation to those who chose not to do so. The mechanism provided by section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 in and Wales has not yet been commenced.

Section 40 would provide affordable access to justice to the public when they have been harmed by the news publishers, whilst also protecting news publishers from high legal costs.

The Government has said that it plans to ask Parliament to repeal section 40.

Share your views

In producing our report, we would like to consider the full range of perspectives on the success of the recognition system.

We also welcome views in response to the following questions:

• Have there been any developments over the last year, related to our work, that you would like to draw to our attention?

• Is there anything that you would like to say about the mechanisms for challenging the news materials published by social media companies?

• Is there anything else that you would like to tell us?

How to respond to this call for information

If you have any information that you would like us to consider, we are happy to receive feedback in writing, by phone, or face-to-face.

Write to us: Mappin House, 4 Winsley Street, London W1W 8HF

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 020 3443 7072

If you would like to meet with us, please contact us using the details above to arrange.

The call for information will run from 8 September 2020 to 21 October 2020.

Confidentiality

We wish to publish a list of everyone who responds to this call for information and their responses. We may also quote or refer to specific responses in our final report. When providing information, please indicate if you do not want your name and/or response to be published.

2 Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP Minister of State for Media and Data 4th Floor 100 Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ Department for • E: [email protected]

Digital, Culture, www.gov.uk/dcms Media & Sport 24 September 2020 David Wolfe QC Press Recognition Panel Mappin House Our Ref: MC2020/15204 4 Winsley Street London W1W 8HF

Dear Lord Wolfe,

Thank you for your correspondence of 22 July regarding IPSO and press regulation. Please accept my apologies for the delayed response.

The government is committed to independent self-regulation of the press. This government is committed to a free press, which we believe is vital to a strong and fully functioning democracy where the powerful can be held to account without fear. The government supports independent self-regulation of the press.

Lord Faulks is an unaffiliated peer and so IPSO is independent of government.

Unlike its predecessor the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), IPSO has the contractual power to legally enforce all the obligations into which the press has entered. This includes determining the wording, where a ruling is placed in a , in what font size and on what page. It also offers complaints handling services, and low cost or free arbitration, for anyone who is concerned about alleged press misconduct.

IPSO continues to make improvements in the areas recommended by Lord Leveson.

The Government’s Online Harms White Paper, published in April 2019, set out our plans to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users which will be overseen by an independent regulator. This regulator will set clear safety standards, backed up by mandatory reporting requirements and strong enforcement powers to deal with non- compliance. However, as the former Secretary of State for DCMS made clear in a letter to the Society of Editors, Online Harms regulation will not seek to duplicate existing self-regulation of the press.

I hope this information is helpful.

Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP Minister of State for Media and Data

Annex C to PRP30(20)

Update on key external matters

1. The update on key external matters is a research-informed piece based on a sample of information available in the public domain.

Commercial Landscape

2. National newspaper brands lost 3m daily digital readers in the second quarter of 2020 after interest in Covid-19 news spiked in March, the latest Pamco data shows. But combined print and digital audiences still continued to grow at a rate of 20% year-on-year. The data shows 22m people were reading national news online every day in June, up 3.7m compared to the same period in 2019. Overall, national news readership is estimated at 28m daily readers across print and digital, reaching 43m people per week and 46m per month.

3. Press Gazette reported that Archant, the UK’s fourth biggest local newspaper publisher, has been bought out by a private equity firm. Under the deal, Rcapital Partners will take a 90% stake in the company, which publishes the The New European and the Eastern Daily Press as well as a number of local weekly news titles and monthly magazines. Archant is putting forward proposals for a Company Voluntary Arrangement which will see the company’s creditors – including HMRC and its bank – receive only a portion of what they are owed.

4. As reported by Press Gazette, Scotland-based publisher DC Thomson has closed five women’s and children’s magazines it says were “marginal” six months ago and have since become “commercially unsustainable” because of the coronavirus pandemic. DC Thomson said the closures would result in less than 20 job losses across its magazine business “subject to consultation discussions where options will be explored fully”. The titles closing are: Scottish Wedding, No. 1, Sweet, This Is, and Slime Factory.

5. As reported by Press Gazette, City AM has pushed its return to print back by about a month as commuters have proved slower than expected to return to offices. The free daily business newspaper put its print edition on hold on 20 March and later put plans in place to return on Monday 7 September. It is now delaying until an unspecified date in early October as advertisers are understood to be delaying campaigns to grab commuters once more have returned to London’s streets.

6. Press Gazette reported that Telegraph Media Group grew its digital subscription revenues by half to £17.8m in 2019, which it says shows the success of its focus on a subscription-first strategy and investment in journalism. Operating profit at TMG was up by 73% to £14.3m in 2019, which the company said was “driven by the growth in digital subscriptions and planned cost actions”. Turnover fell by 5% to £263.9m in the year ending 31 December 2019, which was put down to the ongoing industry-wide decline in print advertising and newspaper circulation. However TMG said this was “almost entirely offset” by growth in subscribers and subscription revenues.

7. reported that four national newspapers, including and the Daily Mail, were missing from some newsagents’ shelves on the morning of Saturday 5 September after more than 100 Extinction Rebellion protesters targeted printing presses owned by ’s News Corp the night before. responded by saying: “A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country, including the fight against climate change. It is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the public’s access to news in this way.” The Labour party’s official line read: “A free press is vital for our democracy. People have the right to read the newspapers they want. Stopping them from being distributed and printers from doing their jobs is wrong.” As reported by the Independent, the government is now considering a range of possible new laws to give the police more powers to stop similar future protests.

8. As reported by Press Gazette, JPI Media has told staff it is reopening itself to bidders after coming through lockdown in a “strong place”. Chief executive David King told staff the company’s board has decided it is the right time to restart exploring its options, with financial adviser GCA Altium appointed to lead the process. In a separate staff memo, JPI editor-in-chief Jeremy Clifford said job cuts are proposed in the Scottish small brands, advanced content hubs, community sport and design hub teams. About 24 jobs are being created in a newly-formed central digital content team, meaning a net loss of 20 to 30 roles overall.

9. Press Gazette reported that left-wing news website The Canary has revealed plans to fund a new investigative unit staffed by two journalists. The website is relaunching 13 months after saying it was forced to make cuts by smears of anti- Semitism, pressure put on advertisers by “political Zionists” and changes to Google and Facebook’s algorithms. Editor-in-chief and former managing director Drew Rose, who has taken over from Bex Sumner, said the title had survived the “decimation” of its advertising income and “politically-motivated attacks on our staff”. It has since transitioned to become 95% reader-funded, although it has pledged never to put up a paywall.

Political

10. Wes Streeting MP (Ilford North, Labour) tabled a question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to change the rate of VAT applied to magazines.

Wes Streeting MP (Ilford North, Labour) tabled a question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to change the rate of VAT applied to newspapers.

Jesse Norman MP (Hereford and South Herefordshire, Conservative) has responded: “There are no current plans to change the rate of VAT applied to:

- Magazines

- Renovating a dwelling that has been empty for at least two years

- Smoking cessation products

- Installation of mobility aids for the elderly for use in domestic accommodation

- Supplies of magnetic tape adapted for recording speech for blind people

- Motorcycle helmets that meet safety standards

- Cycle helmets marked CE

- Maps and charts

- Printed music

- Newspapers

- Books

- Food of a kind used for human consumption

- Children’s clothes

- Children’s shoes

- Clothes for babies

- Equipment for blind or partially sighted people

- Incontinence products

- Low Vision aids

- Emptying domestic septic tanks and cesspools

- Water supplied to households.

There are limits to the changes the Government can make to the VAT treatment of these goods under the framework of European law. While the UK is in the transition period, all existing EU VAT rules will continue to apply. Although all taxes are kept under review, there are no plans to change these reliefs at this time.”

11. Emma Hardy MP (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, Labour) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether comments on newspaper website forums will be considered to be user generated content for the purpose of the Government's legislative strategy for tackling online harms.

Caroline Dinenage MP (Gosport, Conservative) has responded: “Online harms regulation seeks to improve online safety while ensuring pluralism, freedom of expression and media freedoms are protected online, Online harms regulation will not duplicate existing regulatory activity. The former DCMS Secretary of State made it clear in his 2019 letter to the Society of Editors that existing regulation on moderated comment sections on news sites would not be duplicated. Full details on the scope of online harms regulation will be published in the full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper Consultation later this year.”

12. Emma Hardy MP (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, Labour) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to help tackle (a) disinformation and (b) abuse on the commenting forums of newspaper websites.

Emma Hardy MP (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, Labour) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of (a) covid-19 disinformation and (b) other online harms on newspaper comment forums on public safety; and if she will make a statement.

Rt Hon John Whittingdale MP (Maldon, Conservative) has responded: “The Government takes the issue of disinformation very seriously. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been vitally important that the public has accurate information and DCMS is leading work across Government to tackle disinformation.

The Cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit was stood up on 5 March, bringing together cross-Government monitoring and analysis capabilities. The Unit’s primary function is to provide a comprehensive picture of the extent, scope and impact of disinformation and misinformation regarding Covid-19 and to work with partners to ensure appropriate action is taken.

More generally, the Government’s Online Harms White Paper, published in April 2019, set out our plans for world-leading legislation to make companies more responsible for their users’ safety online. We intend to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users which will be overseen by an independent regulator. This regulator will set clear safety standards, backed up by mandatory reporting requirements and strong enforcement powers to deal with non-compliance.

However, Online Harms regulation will not seek to duplicate existing regulation on moderated comment sections on news sites. The government is committed to independent self-regulation of the press. Complaints about user-generated comments on news websites can be directed to the publication itself, or to the appropriate self-regulator. The majority of traditional publishers—including 95% of national newspapers by circulation—are members of IPSO. A small number of publishers have joined IMPRESS”

13. Scott Mann MP (North Cornwall, Conservative) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to support regional and local news coverage.

Rt Hon John Whittingdale MP (Maldon, Conservative) has responded: “Local and regional news coverage provides a vital service - providing information about local public affairs, holding local decision-makers to account, and providing a forum for community discussion.

Public service broadcasters, including the BBC, and national and local commercial radio stations, have requirements to produce regional and local news. The BBC’s Royal Charter requires the BBC to represent, reflect and serve audiences, taking into account the needs of diverse communities of all the UK nations and regions. Under the new regulatory system introduced by the Government in 2017, the BBC Board must ensure the BBC complies with its Charter duties, and Ofcom was established as the BBC regulator to ensure the BBC is robustly held to account.

The Government’s manifesto also recognises the indispensable role of the local and regional press, committing to “support local and regional newspapers, as vital pillars of communities and local democracy”. It has been an absolute priority to ensure we do all we can as a Government to support local news outlets during the Covid-19 crisis as well as supporting commercial and community radio. This included taking the decision to bring forward the commencement of zero-rating of VAT on e-newspapers to May 2020 and working with Arqiva, the UK’s TV and radio transmission provider, to provide six months discount charges which has benefited local commercial radio stations .

The Government also took steps to ensure local media could operate during the Covid 19 lockdown period. Journalists and other key media ancillary staff were designated as ‘key workers’ for the purposes of access to childcare and educational places. The Government also issued guidance to local authorities on the importance of newspaper delivery; took steps to ensure the use of ‘keyword blocklisting’ technology is not inadvertently damaging news publishers’ online advertising revenues for Covid-19 related stories by ad-blocking coronavirus- related terms; and implemented a significant public information campaign, using local and national press and commercial radio extend the reach of these campaigns.”

14. Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP (Brighton, Kemptown, Labour (Co-op)) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason his Department’s press office decided to no longer deal with the news outlet Declassified UK.

Jeremy Quin MP (Horsham, Conservative) has responded: “The Department is looking into the specifics raised in the hon. Member’s question and we will write to him shortly.”

15. Martyn Day MP (Linlithgow and East Falkirk, Scottish National Party) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the letter of 4 September 2020 addressed to him from the International Press Institute, for what reason his Department’s press office has decided to refuse comment to the news outlet Declassified UK.

Jeremy Quin MP (Horsham, Conservative) has responded: “The Department is looking into the specifics raised in the hon. Member's questions and we will write to him shortly.”

16. Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench Life peer) tabled a question asking Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with media regulators, including Ofcom and IPSO, on the reporting of suicide; what assessment they have made of the impact of reporting relating to assisted suicide; and what plans they have to review their guidance to ensure that public broadcasters include details of the Samaritans or other support services when reporting on suicide and assisted suicide stories.

Baroness Barran (Conservative Life peer) has responded: “Every suicide is a tragedy which has a devastating and enduring impact on families and communities. The Government is taking action in this area, including launching the first Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy, which sets out an ambitious programme across national and local government and the NHS.

The Government does not review editorial content, as broadcast regulation is a matter for Ofcom. Ofcom has the power to set rules in its Broadcasting Code for broadcasters to meet in order to ensure UK audiences are adequately protected from harmful content. Ofcom’s Guidelines, which advise broadcasters on meeting the rules, includes advice on providing specific helplines where a programme has dealt with a particularly sensitive issue.

The government is committed to a free and independent press, and does not, therefore, seek to intervene in the decisions or activities of newspapers or regulators, including IPSO. IPSO’s Editors’ Code of Practice sets out the rules that newspapers and magazines regulated by IPSO have agreed to follow, including on reporting suicide.

In response to COVID-19, the Government announced £9.2 million of additional funding to support mental health charities, including Samaritans and CALM. Samaritans published updated media guidelines resources at the beginning of August and created a new online hub of resources, covering additional topics to help journalists and programme makers further understand the issues surrounding suicidal behaviour and offering practical tips on covering these topics.”

17. Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench Life peer) tabled a question asking Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to mandate the inclusion of details of mental health charities, NHS support and groups such as the Samaritans to be published whenever newspapers or broadcasters report (1) on suicide, (2) on assisted suicide, and (3) on palliative care.

Baroness Barran (Conservative Life peer) has responded: “Every suicide is a tragedy which has a devastating and enduring impact on families and communities. The Government is taking action in this area, including launching the first Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy, which sets out an ambitious programme across national and local government and the NHS. In response to COVID-19, the Government announced £9.2million of additional funding to support mental health charities, including Samaritans and CALM

The editorial and operational decisions of broadcasters are independent from the Government. Ofcom, the UK’s independent broadcast regulator, sets rules in its Broadcasting Code for licensed broadcasters to meet to ensure UK audiences are adequately protected from harmful content. Ofcom advises in its Guidelines that where a programme has dealt with a particularly sensitive issue, broadcasters may wish to provide a helpline specific to that issue.

The Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy sets out the importance of responsible media reporting of suicide. The Government is committed to a free and independent press, and does not, therefore, seek to intervene in the decisions or activities of newspapers or regulators. Newspapers either self- regulate or are regulated by independent regulators; which include IPSO and IMPRESS. These regulators issue codes of conduct which set out the rules that newspapers and magazines have agreed to follow, including on reporting suicide.

IPSO has also produced guidance for journalists on reporting suicide, including signposting to sources of support by providing the contact details for The Samaritans, PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, or other relevant organisations, in any articles reporting on a suicide.”

18. As reported by the Independent, the Council of Europe issued a Level 2 "media freedom alert" after Ministry of Defence press officers refused to deal with Declassified UK, a website focusing on foreign and defence policy stories. Press Gazette reported that lawyers have told the MoD its decision could be a breach of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Law firm Leigh Day has written to the MoD asking for urgent clarification after a press officer reportedly told Declassified UK journalist Phil Miller: “My understanding from the office is that we no longer deal with your publication.”

Regulatory news

19. reported that Facebook has recruited ten former policy officials since the start of last year, heightening concerns of a close relationship between the government and technology companies. The findings reveal a systematic hiring of government insiders with knowledge of the regulatory process. The officials left roles in government and with regulators to work on policy and communications for Facebook. Senior Conservative MPs said that Facebook was seeking to limit regulations before they were introduced. Julian Knight, the chairman of the Commons committee on digital, culture, media and sport, said that the public “have a right to question the cosy relationship between government and big tech at all levels”.

20. IPSO chairman, Lord Faulks, QC, has said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could have settled their current legal action against newspapers through a cheap and swift arbitration scheme rather than going to court. “If I had a complaint against newspapers,” he tells The Times, “I am not sure I would go to the expense of hiring Schillings [the couple’s London law firm]. They could have come to us. The royal family has regularly used us and are very much aware of what we can and cannot do. But we don’t preclude people from using a lawyer in a conventional way.”

Campaigners’ news

21. The Society of Editors has welcomed the support of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee in its bid to ensure news publishers are not damaged by proposed new Online Harms legislation. The committee’s chairman, Julian Knight MP, has written to the Culture Minister John Whittingdale urging him to ensure any new legislation is not directed towards news websites. The SoE, along with other media organisations, has called for an exemption for legitimate news media sites from the proposed laws, however the Home Office has expressed concerns such an exemption would create loopholes for others to exploit. Mr Knight, Tory MP for Solihull, told Mr Whittingdale that the DCMS and the Home Office should allow an exemption for authenticated and reliable news sources.

22. The Society of Editors (SoE) has condemned actions taken by Extinction Rebellion protesters which resulted in the delivery of several national UK newspapers being delayed. Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors branded the actions as both foolish and anti-democratic and said they were an obvious deliberate attempt to harm the UK’s free press: “The UK’s media has provided an enormous amount of coverage on the issue of climate change, exploring the arguments from all angles. This attempt to blackmail the media into slavishly repeating the claims of one side of the debate while ignoring criticism of it will fail but displays a poor understanding of how the freedoms that allow organisations like Extinction Rebellion to protest are protected through the very free press they are attacking.”

23. The Society of Editors (SoE) has called on the Ministry of Defence to respond to censorship concerns after the Council of Europe accused it of threatening press freedom for blacklisting Declassified UK, a military and foreign policy news website, and refusing to answer journalistic questions or provide the outlet with official information. Writing to the Ministry of Defence, Ian Murray, Executive Director of the Society of Editors sought clarification that it was not the official policy of the MOD to single out UK news organisations for favourable or unfavourable treatment. He said: “Any decision to blacklist a UK news outlet would be very much at odds with the pledges made by our officials on the importance of media freedom both at home and abroad. It would also be at odds with the Prime Minister’s own assertion this weekend that it is ‘completely unacceptable to seek to limit the public’s access to news’.”

24. Hacked Off has responded to new research by Women in Journalism highlighting a lack of diversity in the press. Emma Jones, Journalist and Hacked Off Board Director, said: “These findings are a stark reminder that the print media remains overwhelmingly white and male. In order to best serve the public, the press must become more representative of its readership. It is no surprise that most of these newspaper titles are members of IPSO, the complaints-handler controlled by the largest newspaper groups which has consistently failed to protect minority groups from abuse and discrimination in the press. Written by a committee dominated by white newspaper editors, the standards code IPSO claims to enforce has no provision outlawing racist, misogynistic or other forms of abuse targeted at groups and communities. The press must do more to address racism in the executive offices of national newspaper titles, as well as in the pages of the newspapers they publish.”

25. Speaking in the wake of reports that local online news title The Gosport & Fareham Sunday Globe had closed due to the pandemic, the Director of the Independent Community News Network (ICNN) said that advertising spend must be extended to digital-only titles. Emma Meese said that the reach and impact of titles such as the Gosport Globe should not be under-estimated. She added: “It is heartbreaking to see a valued local title being forced to close due to a lack of funding. This wouldn’t have happened if the Government’s ‘All in, All Together’ campaign had also been run with digital only titles. The decision to only run the campaign in daily or weekly printed titles has had a devastating effect on the independent news sector and the communities they serve.” PRP31(20)

PRESS RECOGNITION PANEL BOARD

FINANCE REPORT – AUGUST 2020

Meeting: 28 September 2020 Status: for noting

Lead responsibility: Susie Uppal, Chief Contact details: Susie Uppal, Adam Executive Gibbs (JS2)

Purpose

1. The purpose of this paper is to update the Board on the finance and banking position as at 31 August 2020.

2. The Board is invited to note the latest financial position.

Background and analysis

3. A bank-reconciled set of management accounts as at 31 August 2020 is attached at Annex A.

4. The deficit for the period to date is £30,151 against the year to date budget of £35,054. This represents a positive variance of £4,903 compared to the year to date forecast.

5. The Board is invited to note the latest position regarding the PRP’s finances.

Devolved Nations

6. There are no specific implications/differences in relation to the areas of work covered in this paper and the devolved nations.

Communications

7. There are no specific communications implications to draw out.

Risks

8. A robust and defensible position in relation to the PRP’s finances is required in order to avoid reputational damage and to ensure compliance with HM Treasury’s Managing Public Money.

page 1 of 2 Recommendations

9. The Board is invited to note the latest financial position.

Timeline for future work

10. JS2 Ltd will continue to provide updates on the PRP’s financial position at meetings of the Board.

Attachment

Annex A – Management accounts as at 31 August 2020

page 2 of 2 Press Recognition Panel Period ended 31 August 2020

5 Months to August 2020 Full year to March D2021

Actual Budget Variance Explanation Budget £ £ £ £

Income Subscription Fees 92,219 92,219 - 220,000 Bank Interest 900 1,200 300 2,880 Total Income 93,119 93,419 300 222,880

Expenditure Board and Committee costs Salaries & NIC 27,237 28,135 (898) 69,224 Travel & Subsistence - 100 (100) 240 Other costs --- 3,600 Total Board and Committee Costs 27,237 28,235 (998) 73,064

Communications Publications --- 9,600 Website and Upgrades 214 215 (1) 523 Total Communications Costs 214 215 (1) 10,123

Other costs Executive team costs 63,733 62,973 760 151,501 HR & Recruitment 15,300 18,007 (2,707) Budgeted advertising and candidate 18,988 expenses for recruitment not incurred Office costs 2,238 2,740 (502) 6,641 Meeting rooms - 2,850 (2,850) Meeting room costs not incurred due 5,700 to Covid 19 Travel & Subsistence - 100 (100) 240 IT Hardware 1,565 - 1,565 Computer purchase - Information Technology 1,842 1,754 88 5,207 Accountancy 8,665 8,683 (18) 24,692 Audit Fees --- 12,000 Printing & Stationery 468 950 (482) 1,090 Insurance 1,061 1,056 5 3,060 Legal --- 30,000 Subscriptions & publications 856 850 6 2,094 Finance charges 91 60 31 144 Sundry expenses - - - 576 95,819 100,023 (4,204) 261,933

Total Expenditure 123,270 128,473 (5,203) 345,120

(Deficit) for the period (30,151) (35,054) 4,903 (122,240)

Reserves Bfwd 717,484 717,484 717,484 Reserves Cfwd 687,333 682,430 595,244 Press Recognition Panel Period ended 31 August 2020

Aug-20 Mar-20 £ £ £ £

Current Assets

Current account 41,484 159,222 Barclays account 711,295 710,763 Cash at bank 752,779 869,985

Prepayments 3,358 5,682 Accrued Income 543 175 Third Party Deposit 369 369 Sundry debtors 4,270 6,226

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Trade creditors 983 453 Deferred income 38,576 130,795 Social security and other taxes 4,466 4,809 Pensions 1,035 1,035 Sundry creditors and accruals 24,656 21,635 69,716 158,727

Net Current Assets 687,333 717,484

Net Assets 687,333 717,484

Funds brought forward

Funds bought forward at 31 March 717,484 787,947

Surplus/(deficit) for the period (30,151) (70,463)

687,333 717,484