Press Recognition Panel confirms Impress continues to meet the criteria of an independent press regulator

 

The Press Recognition Panel (PRP), the independent body which oversees the system of press self-regulation, today published its third Cyclical Review of Impress, the UK’s only Approved press regulator.

The Totnes Pulse is one of many publishing projects around the UK working to provide local scrutiny and news that has lapsed so badly in recent years. As such, we are members of Impress. The review concludes that Impress has successfully demonstrated that it remains committed to maintaining high editorial standards, protecting its members’ freedom of expression, enabling investigative journalism in the public interest, and upholding robust protections for the public.

Impress is required to demonstrate every three years that it continues to meet the criteria for independent press self-regulation, as established by Parliament in the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press and following the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry.

Being recognised as an Approved Regulator assures both the public and news publishers that any complaints regarding breaches of the Impress Standards Code will be handled independently, fairly, and transparently. This commitment distinguishes Impress’s member news publishers from those who have not joined an Approved Regulator.

“We are delighted to have once again had the opportunity to prove our independence to the Press Recognition Panel,” Impress chief executive Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana said. “Being free from political influence and industry sway is absolutely crucial for a press regulator to be truly independent in its operations and, ultimately, rebuild trust in journalism. We continue in our pursuit of a journalism ecosystem that upholds freedom of the press and protects the public and we encourage any publishers who share those goals, to join us.”

The review assessed compliance with 29 Charter criteria, which encompass independence, impartiality, financial sustainability, standards, transparency, and the effectiveness of complaints handling. The assessment process involved a thorough analysis of evidence submitted by Impress, information from the public domain, a review of sample case handling, and responses to a public Call for Information.

Susie Uppal, Chief Executive of the Press Recognition Panel, said: “The Press Recognition Panel is pleased to announce that Impress continues to meet the criteria of an independent press regulator. It has successfully demonstrated that it upholds high editorial standards and supports freedom of expression for its members, while also properly protecting the public.

This process shows that the system envisaged by the Leveson Inquiry following the phone hacking scandal is working as it should, and that the claims made by the News Media Association, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), and others that properly independent press regulation is somehow incompatible with a free and well-functioning media sector are unfounded. We encourage news publishers who are not currently part of the Recognition System to join Impress, work towards reforming IPSO to become an Approved Regulator, or come together to form a new body that could seek recognition.”

The evidence considered by the PRP Board, along with the full decision report, can be accessed here.

The next cyclical review of Impress is scheduled to begin in November 2028. In the meantime, the PRP will continue to monitor Impress’s performance and any changes to its regulatory scheme.