Any changes to the regulations must be agreed between the regulator and its members. They include:

• An expectation that member publishers carry the IPSO mark in print and online to denote their membership and commitment to high quality journalism.
• Setting out specific requirements about what should be included in publishers’ annual compliance statements to IPSO.
• Strengthening the complaints process by clarifying that IPSO can deal with any complaint made after its usual time periods if the complaint was made in time to the publisher and is still active.

The changes also include a new provision in the regulations for handling complaints about global digital publishers, defining what a global digital publisher is and setting out what foreign, online content is outside of IPSO’s jurisdiction.

IPSO has also announced it has agreed a new funding arrangement with the Regulatory Funding Company, ensuring its financial independence up to 2025. 

Commenting, IPSO’s Chief Executive Matt Tee said:

“These changes have been proposed after extensive consultation with publishers and bodies like the News Media Association and Professional Publishers Association. They command widespread support across the industry will allow us to provide a more effective service to the public.”

“The new rules around global digital publishers reflect the significant changes that have taken place in the industry around online content.”

“Having certainty over our income underlines our independence, and guarantees our freedom from control or influence”.