The advertising industry’s client body ISBA has been the first to react to the publication of Lord Justice Leveson’s Inquiry into the Culture, Practices & Ethics of the Press, giving the proposed self-regulation model a cautious welcome.
Advertisers have long recognised the benefit of self-regulation; the Advertising Standards Authority recently marked its 50th anniversary.
The trade body supports Lord Hunt’s appeal to all newspaper proprietors that they must now “seize the baton” in order to make these proposals work.
ISBA director of public affairs Ian Twinn said: “Advertisers are great believers in self regulation, we know it works. We hope that the debate over whether this is or is not ‘statutory’ regulation does not distract from the need for the press to show a united front, support the new proposals and make them work and show that statutory intervention is not needed.”
Bob Wootton, ISBA’s director of media and advertising, added: “Leveson has shown clearly what many of us have felt; the PCC has not met public expectations to be fair and effective.
“We will look at these proposals very carefully and support our media partners in the press to help in any way we can to make this work.”
