This is the concluding part of this series, thank you for following through. Today’s edition would be discussing media regulation in Ireland.
As opposed to the inefficiencies of press councils in the US and Britain, Ireland’s Press Council of created with statutory underpinnings showed control and effective guidance to the print media. Established in 2008, it was based on a combination of voluntary involvement by legal forces, the framework proposed by Levenson.
The Irish press enjoy the freedom to operate, but it is a common illusion to believe there are no controlling blocs. The primary regulator is the law, just like the provision of the right to free speech in the Bill of Rights of the US, the Irish legal system provided limitations to press freedom in cases of defamation, libel and blasphemy.
Under this system of regulation, the Press Council of Ireland will oversee the conduct of the print media, alongside an Ombudsman that adjudicates complaints from the public, mediates complaints with the newspaper industry and enforces the codes of practice. Unlike the Press Complaints Commission in Britain, its statutory underpinnings provided a reform (defamation law) which was beneficial to the newspapers industry.
The 2009 Defamation Act gave the PCI a legal standpoint, protecting it from the influence of large media corporations and requiring it to be fair. The ACT provided the PCI with the responsibility to determine fair and accurate statements wherever members of the council are embroiled in defamation cases.
In conclusion, we can deduce the level of transparency, independence, control and effectiveness of the existing press regulations of the US, Britain and Ireland. The legal authority of the US provides credibility on which regulation can be established, promoting objectivity and protection of journalists as well the public. The Press councils in Britain and Ireland differ based on the instrument of statutory regulations, whilst the British Press continues to refute statutory regulation without promoting a transparent and credible self-regulatory body, the Press Council of Ireland continues to ensure that journalists act according to the Code of Practice though it is widely affected by the large percentage of privately owned media corporations.
The regulation for social media and cable television remains unchartered in these countries. The United states and Britain continue to refuse regulations as opposed to the Irish media stakeholders.
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