Journalists must follow regulations, which affect both print and broadcast journalists.
The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) is the regulator for newspapers, magazines and other written publications. It is seen as something of a 'toothless tiger' because its code of practice was established by the newspapers themselves.
At the moment, there seems to be a tussle between the press and the government, with the former wanting their own regulator, whilst the latter wants a royal charter and statutory regulations. If put in place, it will mean stricter controls on the written press, something that the industry does not want.
Ofcom is the regulatory authority that policies broadcast media, it covers everything on TV and radio.
Broadcasters must have a licence from Ofcom to transmit and can have their licence taken away if they commit offences serious enough for Ofcom to do so. It can also impose a fine of up to 5% of a broadcasters revenue if is rules have been broken. BBC and S4C (Welsh-language public service television) do not hold Ofcom licences, but are still subject to its rules and can be fined.
These sanctions will be imposed when "a broadcaster deliberately, seriously, or repeatedly breaches the code...".
BBC Editorial Guidelines are for BBC staff and set the standards for the journalism of the corporation.
The BBC handles all its own complaints about inaccuracy and bias and the BBC Trust sets out the framework for its procedure.
NUJ Code of Conduct is only a guide to good conduct, therefore cannot impose serious sanctions.
Abiding by this code can be important for maintaining the reputation of a journalist or a publication. A journalist or a publication may break the code and be lowered in the eyes of their fellow journalists, people they want to interview and/or the public.
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