大象传媒

It has launched a public consultation on the revised draft of the 大象传媒's Editorial Guidelines, which guide programme makers and other content producers on issues such as impartiality, accuracy, harm and offence, as well as covering war, religion, politics and children's issues.

The guidelines inform every editorial decision made within the 大象传媒 and independent production companies working for the corporation. It is also the framework against which complaints are considered.

Richard Tait, 大象传媒 Trustee and chair of the Trust's Editorial Standards Committee, said:

"The Trust's job is to represent licence fee payers - we know that they expect the 大象传媒 to set and meet the highest standards, and rightly so. The Editorial Guidelines exist to guide programme makers in making considered editorial decisions which balance freedom of expression with their responsibilities to the audience, contributors and others.

"Public acceptability is constantly changing, so it is right that we should reflect on the standards the 大象传媒 should be setting, as well as ask licence fee payers what they think when reviewing the guidelines. That's why we are actively seeking their views in this first ever consultation."

The guidelines are reviewed every five years, but this is the first time that they have been put out to consultation with the public. The consultation will conclude on 24 December 2009.

The process of reviewing the guidelines started at the beginning of this year. The Trust asked the Executive to examine and update the guidelines in advance of formal consultation. The submissions to the consultation and independent research commissioned by the Trust will inform the review, and once approved, the new guidelines will come into effect in summer 2010. The existing guidelines will remain in place until this point.

Ends

Notes to editors

More on the guidelines

The Royal Charter guarantees the editorial independence of the 大象传媒 and sets out its Public Purposes. These are defined as:

• sustaining citizenship and civil society;
• promoting education and learning;
• stimulating creativity and cultural excellence;
• representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities;
• bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK;
• in promoting its other purposes, helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services and, in addition, taking a leading role in the switchover to digital television.

The 大象传媒's Editorial Values, and the Editorial Guidelines, are rooted in the Royal Charter and the Agreement. The 大象传媒's Editorial Values embody the 大象传媒's freedoms and responsibilities. Like the Editorial Guidelines, they apply to all 大象传媒 content, whether it is made by the 大象传媒 itself or by an independent company working for the 大象传媒 and whether it is made for radio, television, online, mobile devices, interactive services or the printed word. They relate to truth and accuracy, impartiality and diversity of opinion, editorial integrity and independence, avoiding harm and offence, serving the public interest, fairness, privacy, children, transparency and accountability.