New press standards body is developed
City law firms RPC and Bates Wells Braithwaite have developed the new press standards body for newspapers and magazines, using criteria laid out in the Leveson Report.
The Independent Press Standards Organisation (ISPO), which is expected to be fully operational in May, is supported by more than 90% of national newspapers and most of the regional press.
While the press remains self-regulating, IPSO will have tougher powers to sanction and investigate than the previous system.
Sanjay Pritam, commercial partner at RPC, says: “IPSO will be a robust and independent organisation which will balance protection of free speech with improved governance of the industry. RPC and Bates Wells Braithwaite were involved in a highly collaborative approach to agree with all the interested parties how the new regulator will work in practice.”