1.1 Introduction
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Editorial Guidelines embody the wisdom of more than 100 years of programme making, content production and journalism. They are designed to support creativity and to help content makers weigh up risks and make difficult editorial decisions. The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ needs the trust of its audience – and maintains that trust by the strength of its editorial decision making. The Guidelines set the editorial standards for all ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ content and also satisfy the requirements of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s regulator Ofcom.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Royal Charter[1] specifies the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Mission, which is to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain. The Royal Charter also establishes the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s independence from government, guarantees its editorial and creative freedom and safeguards the licence fee.
The Charter sets out the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Public Purposes:
- To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them.
- To support learning for people of all ages.
- To show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services.
- To reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United Kingdom.
- To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world.
The Royal Charter and the accompanying Framework Agreement[2] establish that it is a duty of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Board to set the standards for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s editorial and creative output and services. The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ must publish, review periodically and ensure the observance of guidelines designed to secure appropriate editorial standards for its UK Public Services. It must also safeguard and maintain the editorial integrity and high quality of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Monitoring.
Producing and upholding these Editorial Guidelines fulfils those requirements. They apply to all content broadcast or published by the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ whoever creates it and however and wherever in the world it is made or received. The Director-General, as the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s editor-in-chief, is ultimately responsible for its editorial content, but everybody involved in making content for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ must work to the standards set out in these Editorial Guidelines. All output made in accordance with these Editorial Guidelines will also meet the requirements of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s regulator, Ofcom.[3]
The Editorial Guidelines set out the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s regulatory and ethical obligations, which often go further than the law. There will be occasions when content is judged legally safe to publish or broadcast, but still raises regulatory or reputational risks for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. In these circumstances the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ seeks to behave ethically. While lawyers and the Editorial Guidelines provide advice, editorial responsibility and the final decision whether to publish or broadcast content remains with the editorial management of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½.
Mandatory Referral: In exceptional circumstances, there may be a proposal or action that would seem inconsistent with the Editorial Guidelines. This must have very strong justification and must be discussed and agreed with the Divisional Director. Director Editorial Policy and Standards must also be consulted.
Deliberate breaches without referral or negligent breaches of the Guidelines of a serious nature may result in disciplinary action.
1.2 The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Editorial Values
Audiences trust the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ and they expect it to adhere to the highest editorial standards.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has a right to freedom of expression under human rights legislation, which is reflected in the Charter. This freedom is at the heart of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s independence. Its audiences have a right to receive creative material, information and ideas without interference. But audiences also expect the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ to balance its right to freedom of expression with its responsibilities to audiences and to contributors.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ operates in the public interest – reporting stories of significance to audiences and holding power to account. In its journalism in particular, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ seeks to establish the truth and use the highest reporting standards to provide coverage that is fair and accurate. The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s specialist expertise provides professional judgement and clear analysis.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is impartial, seeking to reflect the views and experiences of audiences, so that its output as a whole includes a breadth and diversity of opinion, and no significant strand of thought is under-represented or omitted. The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is independent of outside interests and arrangements that could compromise its editorial integrity. However, its editorial standards do not require absolute neutrality on every issue or detachment from fundamental democratic principles.
Freedom of expression enables the exchange of information and ideas without state interference. It helps to inform public debate – encouraging curiosity, criticism and engagement. It allows, for example, dramatists, satirists and comedians to comment on the world around them. However, freedom of expression is not an absolute right – it carries duties and responsibilities and is also subject to legal restrictions and limits.
In exercising freedom of expression, appropriate protection must be offered to vulnerable groups and the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ must avoid causing unjustifiable offence. People's privacy must be respected; private information should normally only be put into the public domain where the public interest outweighs an individual's legitimate expectation of privacy.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has a particular responsibility towards children and young people and must preserve their right to speak out and be heard. Where they contribute to or feature in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ output, due care must be taken to ensure that their dignity and their physical and emotional welfare are protected.
Children have a right to access information and ideas; however, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ must ensure that content that might be unsuitable for them is scheduled appropriately.
1.3 The Public Interest
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Mission[4] specifies that it must 'act in the public interest'. It is in the public interest that the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ should fulfil its mission to provide output to inform, educate and entertain. There is no single definition of public interest; it covers a wide range of values and principles relating to what is in the best interests of society, and it includes:
- freedom of expression
- providing information that assists people to better comprehend, or make decisions on, matters of public importance
- preventing people being misled by the statements or actions of individuals or organisations
- exposing or detecting crime or significantly anti-social behaviour
- exposing corruption, injustice, significant incompetence or negligence.
1.4 Editorial Justification
The concept of editorial justification recurs throughout the Editorial Guidelines and is central to the application of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s values and standards.
Editorial justification is the judgement that the benefit from any editorial decision or content outweighs any negative impact. Editorial justification should be made on a case-by-case basis and take account of the impact on contributors, or where relevant those closest to them, and audiences. It includes, but is not limited to: balancing the privacy of individuals against the public interest in revealing information about them; and balancing the use of potentially offensive output against the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s and audiences' freedom of expression.
1.5 Ofcom
Under the Charter, Ofcom must regulate the standards of relevant ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ UK Public Service content to ensure it meets the requirements of Ofcom's Standards and Fairness Codes[5]. It therefore considers complaints against some ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ broadcast content.
Ofcom does not regulate standards for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service. ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ commercial broadcast services, provided by ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ companies, are not UK Public Services but they are subject to Ofcom's content standards regulation where they are distributed under Ofcom licences.
Where Ofcom finds a breach of its Broadcasting Code, it may require the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ to broadcast a statement of its findings. Where Ofcom considers its code has been breached 'seriously, deliberately, repeatedly or recklessly' it can impose sanctions which range from a requirement to broadcast a correction or statement of finding to a fine of no more than £250,000.
1.6 Accountability
The Charter sets out the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s duty to be transparent and accountable. The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ must publish an Annual Report and Accounts which must include information showing how appropriate editorial standards have been set, reviewed and met. It must also include information about how the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has served the nations and regions of the UK and whether there have been significant changes to any Public Services. The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ must also report on how complaints have been handled and what has been learned from them.
Additionally, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Board will hold the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Executive to account to ensure editorial standards are maintained. It will commission thematic reviews in key areas of public debate and these findings will be published.
1.7 Complaints
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is open in acknowledging mistakes when they are made and wants to learn from them. It is required to set and publish procedures for the handling and resolution of complaints. The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Complaints Procedure[6] sets out the timeframes that complaints will normally be answered within and relates both to the obligations of its Public Services and also its commercial operations.
Complaints about most ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ content[7] are dealt with by the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ first, as set out in the Complaints Procedure[8]. Complaints are handled by ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Audience Services in the first instance, but complainants dissatisfied with the response can ask the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) to investigate.
The Executive Complaints Unit deals with complaints about possible breaches of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s editorial standards in connection with specific programmes or items of content. It deals with complaints about any ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ service, platform or product where the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has editorial responsibility. This includes international, public and commercial services and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½-branded magazines.
The Executive Complaints Unit will also consider 'general complaints', which may be complaints about editorial issues which are directed at the output as a whole rather than specific items, or about a range of non-editorial matters.
The Executive Complaints Unit's decisions are subject to review by the Director-General, as the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s editor-in-chief.
Where the Executive Complaints Unit identifies a serious breach of the editorial standards set out in these Guidelines, its finding will normally be published on the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ complaints website. It may also direct the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ to broadcast an apology or correction.
If complainants are not satisfied with the Executive Complaints Unit finding, and the complaint relates to ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ content regulated by Ofcom, the complainant can refer the matter to Ofcom, after the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has finished considering the complaint. Ofcom will adjudicate on whether there has been a breach of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.
Complaints about ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service content and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ content on social media do not come within Ofcom's remit and are considered within the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s complaints process, in line with the Complaints Procedure.
1.8 Accessibility
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is committed to being inclusive and accessible to all audiences and is required by law to make 'reasonable adjustments' to ensure disabled people can access output.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ provides subtitling, audio-description and sign language services, but what is considered 'reasonable' will evolve as technology develops.[9]
Ofcom also sets mandatory requirements for all broadcasters.[10]
Decisions taken throughout the production process will affect whether output is accessible to people with some visual impairment, including colour blindness, hearing loss or speech impairment. Producers must take account of the requirement that, as far as reasonably practicable, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ content is accessible to those audiences.
(See guidance: Visually Impaired and Hearing-Impaired Audiences)
- [1] Broadcasting: Royal Charter for the Continuance of the British Broadcasting Corporation December 2016. ↩
- [2] Broadcasting: An Agreement Between Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the British Broadcasting Corporation December 2016. ↩
- [3] The Ofcom Broadcasting Code. ↩
- [4] Article 5 The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Mission, Broadcasting: Royal Charter for the Continuance of the British Broadcasting Corporation December 2016. ↩
- [5] Article 46 Principal functions of Ofcom, Broadcasting: Royal Charter for the Continuance of the British Broadcasting Corporation December 2016. ↩
- [6] ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Complaints Framework and Procedures June 2020. ↩
- [7] Individuals may make first-party complaints relating to fairness and privacy directly to Ofcom. ↩
- [8] ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Complaints Framework and Procedures June 2020. ↩
- [9] ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Policies: Subtitles on TV and Audio description on TV. Available on Gateway for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ staff or via commissioning editors for independent producers. ↩
- [10] Ofcom's Code on Television Access Services. ↩