A new report released today has exposed the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) once again as a regulator without teeth, failing to hold the press to account and leaving the public at risk.

The report reveals IPSO’s shocking ineffectiveness: despite receiving thousands of complaints, only 52 were upheld—just 0.7%. The rest were either dismissed or abandoned, with the average waiting time for complaints to be adjudicated upon standing at 161 days. Incredibly, this was also the tenth year of zero fines and zero standards investigations into any of IPSO's members.

Despite its claims of promoting accountability, IPSO has proven itself little more than a PR shield for the newspapers it is meant to regulate, disregarding the public’s right to privacy and accurate reporting and protection from intrusion.

Case Studies: IPSO's Failure to Act

Several high-profile cases illustrate IPSO’s failure to take meaningful action:

• FC v. Daily Record: IPSO sided with the press after a woman’s daughter’s suicide was reported without consent, including graphic details of her death.
• Family of ML v. Several Titles: IPSO dismissed a family’s complaint after a suicide was reported with harmful details about the method and location, which had been linked to other deaths.
• Ward v. The Daily Mail: IPSO ruled that the Daily Mail had not breached the code when it misrepresented the IPCC’s climate report, despite clear factual inaccuracies.

These cases highlight a consistent pattern of IPSO siding with the press, ignoring privacy violations, and failing to uphold the Editors' Code.

Why It Matters

IPSO’s failures undermine public trust in the media. Complaints are often delayed, abandoned, or inadequately addressed, and when corrections are issued, they are rarely prominent or substantial enough to repair the harm caused.

As long as newspapers remain under the oversight of IPSO, the public will continue to be vulnerable to misinformation and invasion of privacy and press abuse. Until the press adopts a truly independent regulator like IMPRESS, or this government acts to protect victims of the press and deliver the completion of Leveson Part Two, these issues will persist.

Conclusion: More of the Same in 2024?

With zero fines and zero investigations in 2024, IPSO’s system shows no sign of change. Without legislative intervention, the public will continue to suffer the consequences of a regulator that protects the press, not the public.