The vast majority of the British public believe that newspapers and news websites should be regulated by an independent body, according to new public polling.

The poll, conducted by Opinium on behalf of the Press Justice Project, demonstrates the public’s views on the dire state of press standards, and shows their clear demands for serious reform of press regulation.

15 years of failure on standards in the press

The results show that 71% of the public want the press to be regulated by a body which is independent from both politicians and newspaper publishers – unlike IPSO, the complaints-handler that’s owned, controlled and funded by the newspapers it is meant to regulate.

Industry executives and previous governments have continuously opposed reform of press regulation, often on the basis of spurious arguments about changes in the media landscape. Lord Black, chair of the body responsible for funding IPSO, has even claimed there has been “a sea change in how newspapers are run, managed and deal with complaints” since the phone hacking scandal in 2011.

The new Opinium polling, however, shows that the public have a far less rosy view about the state of press standards in the UK. Surveying 2,050 UK adults, the poll finds that more than half (54%) of Brits think press standards have got worse or not improved since the phone hacking scandal.

Just 10% of Brits support continued regulation by IPSO

These polling results are even more damning for IPSO, the failed industry regulator which has never launched a standards investigation or issued a fine against a publisher in its entire history.

When asked how the press should be regulated, the most popular option (38%) is for newspapers and their websites to be regulated by an independent statutory regulator, like Ofcom, enforcing rules laid down by law, followed by Lord Justice Leveson's solution of a non-statutory independent regulator.

Continued regulation by the press-controlled body IPSO is supported by just 10% of those polled, with even readers of IPSO-regulated newspapers preferring statutory regulation or a Leveson-compliant independent body over IPSO.

The urgent need for serious reform

The new findings come as the Prime Minister prepares to meet with victims of press abuse, following a joint letter by Gerry McCann, father of the missing girl Madeleine, and thirty other victims of historic illegality and unethical conduct by Britain’s biggest newspapers.

This polling demonstrates the overwhelming public support and urgent need for Parliament to bring in new reforms that protect the public from intrusion, harassment and other abuses by the press.

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