2. Contents
1. Q magazines impact and effect on the audience
2. Relevant issues on representation
3. Copyright
4. Legal issues
5. Royalties
6. Ethical issues
7. Complaint
8. Q’s complaint procedure
9. Regulatory issues
10. Role of relevant regulatory bodies
3. Q magazine’s impact and effect on the audience
Looking at Q magazines, they impact the audience through their
influential people on their social media. Further to this, due to their
target audience they look to produce content with a much higher
mature level so they will appeal to it’s majority age range which is
from 24 to 35 years old, because of the target audience, the
conversations are more for people who already buy the magazine on
a regular basis, otherwise people will be buying the magazines and
they will be lost with the context of it. There are theories that help
to explain the effect that the magazine has on the audience. One of
the theories is the ‘hypodermic needle theory’ because once people
read an article in a music magazine, they would start to believe the
wrong things because they don’t have the right knowledge on the
magazine to know what is correct. Using motive language such as
“celebration” will entice the reader and ‘entertain’ (Katz) them so
pick up the magazine and read it.
4. Relevant issues on Representation
https://slyneblog.wordpress.com/unit-1-analysing-media-products-and-audiences/
• Stereotype: a person or thing that conforms to a widely held by
oversimplified image of the class or type to which they belong. For
example, topics on age, gender, race and religion.
• Who are their stereotypical audience/readership?
• Laura Mulvey ‘male gaze’- male audiences will look at media texts for
their pleasure for example, Lady Gaga with little clothing on.
• Diana Saco ‘female gaze’ – female audiences will look at males for
their pleasure, for example. Trey Songz on the front cover of Vibe.
John Berger (1972) had stated that the ‘men act, women appear’. By
this he meant that men will stare at women and women know they are
being looked at and then from this, women make themselves into
objects. For example, if a female artist is looking quite sultry, they are
submitting to the idea that they should be looked at and men portray
the stereotype of masculinity by buying the magazine with these
specific images.
5. Ethical & Legal Issues.
The IPSO(independent press standards organization), has set rules known as the editors code of practice, in
which the editor of a magazine, newspaper or any other form of media, has to follow a particular rule set
followed by this organization. Initially it was the PCC (Press Complaints Commission) that dealt with these rules
and set specific standards that editors would have to follow, and now this has been taken over by the IPSO.
They focus on a long list of categories such as Accuracy, Privacy, Harassment, Intrusion into grief or shock,
Reporting Suicide, Children, Children in sex cases, Hospitals, Reporting of crime, Clandestine devices and
subterfuge, Victims of sexual assault, Discrimination, Financial journalism, Confidential sources, Witness
payments in criminal trials and Payment to criminals. These are all the categories that are included in the
editor’s Code of Practice.
https://www.ipso.co.uk/
6. Role of Relevant Regulatory Bodies
About IPSO's complaints process:
This information sets out how your complaint will be dealt with once it is received by IPSO as well as our policies on confidentiality, behaviour and supporting
individuals with disabilities.
Initial assessment:
Once your complaint is received, IPSO staff will assess whether it falls within our remit and if it raises a possible breach of the Editors' Code.
Referral to the publication:
In most circumstances, they will take over the concerns you are holding once the publishers internal complaints procedures has concluded or if the matter has not
been resolved within the 28 days. On the other hand, the publication may request that we begin investigating the complaint without waiting for the end of the 28
days. On occasion they may begin to investigate the complaint immediately, without a referral period, If they are to consider if it is essential for us to do.
Investigation:
• For this, the IPSO will be provided with a copy of the publication’s response to your complaint and given the opportunity to comment. They will look to think
about a satisfactory outcome to your complaint if appropriate. In some cases this could be faster and provide a wider range of possible outcomes than the
remedial action IPSO can potentially require. Some examples of this are: the publication of a correction, clarification or apology
• the publication of a letter or article by a complainant
• a private letter of apology
• amendments to an online article or removal of material
• assurances about future publication or conduct. https://www.ipso.co.uk/IPSO/cop.html
7. IPSO continued:
Adjudication by the Complaints Committee
If your complaint remains unresolved, the Complaints Committee will decide whether there has been a breach of the Editors’ Code. The Complaints Committee will take into account only information which has been seen by both
sides to the complaint, and will publish its decision setting out whether the Editors’ Code has been breached, and why, on our website.
Outcomes
if the complaint committee determines that the editor’s code has been breached, it can require the publication of it s upheld adjudication and/or a correction. The nature, extent and placement of corrections and adjudications will be
determined by the Committee.
Anonymity
All of IPSO's decisions are published on the Rulings section of our website, unless there are special circumstances such as a court order. If you have concerns about publication of a decision, you will be given an opportunity to raise
them before the Complaints Committee is asked to consider the complaint.
Review
If your complaint has been the subject of a decision following investigation and you believe that the procedure by which the Committee considered the complaint was substantially flawed, you may request a review by the Complaints
Reviewer. Any request for a review must be made in writing within 14 days of the decision being issued. IPSO's staff will decide whether to refer the complaint to the Complaints Reviewer.
Confidentiality
Complainants and others should have absolute confidence that their privacy will be respected. In order for IPSO to be able to investigate complaints effectively, it is essential that neither party publishes information which has been
provided as part of the investigation, including correspondence, without the consent of the other. Material provided by both parties during an investigation must only be used for the purpose of the complaint. This does not prevent
either party from disclosing information about the complaint to third parties in order to seek assistance, so long as they take reasonable steps to ensure that the third parties are aware of and will respect confidentiality.
Simultaneous correspondence
IPSO is committed to resolving complaints, where possible and appropriate, on terms which are agreeable to both sides. We expect both parties to a complaint to engage with the process in good faith, and to cooperate with our
procedures.
Multiple complaints
In cases where IPSO receives a large volume of complaints about a general point of fact, they will be combined into a single “lead or “summary” complaint, either prior to or following referral. If a lead complainant is selected, other
complainants will receive an explanation of this, and will be notified of the outcome at the conclusion of the process.
Individuals with disabilities
IPSO will make reasonable adjustments to our ordinary procedures in order to accommodate your needs. Please explain the nature of your disability and any adjustment you require.
IPSO must ensure that the complaints process is transparent, effective and fair to both parties. Generally speaking, this requires a written record of the nature of the complaint, the response by the publication and the process that
has been followed. All complaints are presented to the Committee for consideration in writing
Unacceptable behaviour by complainants
In some cases, complaints will contact IPSO in distressing circumstances and many need significant support and assistance. The staff should be accessible and courteous to everyone.
https://www.ipso.co.uk/complain/our-complaints-process/
8. Editor’s code of practice
Accuracy
Looking at this section, the press are made sure to take care and not to publish inaccurate,
misleading or distorted information or images, including headlines not supported by the text.
Also, the press, while free to edit and campaign, they must distinguish the clear difference
between comment, conjecture and the facts.
Privacy
Every person is entitled to respect their privacy and family life etc. further to this, for people
taking pictures, it is not acceptable to take a photograph individuals, without their consent, this
means that when they are in public or in private places their privacy needs to be respected.
Harassment
Journalists must not engage in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit. It isn’t allowed for
journalists to consistently ask questions, calling, following or photographing people once asked to
stop.
Instruction into grief or shock
In cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries and approaches must be made with sympathy
and discretion and publication handled sensitively. These provisions should not restrict the right
to report legal proceedings.
Reporting suicide
When reporting on a subject such as suicide, to prevent simulative acts then care and caution
must be taken to avoid excessive detail of the method used, while taking into account the media’s
right to report legal proceedings.
Children
Everyone should be allowed to complete their time at school with intrusion.
Without school authorities then they are not allowed to photograph or approach the pupil or
pupils.
https://www.ipso.co.uk/editors-code-of-practice/
Children in sex cases
In any kind of press report of a case involving a sexual offence against a minor –
They must not be identified, however the adult is allowed to be identified, a word such as
“incest” must not be used where there is a child victim might be identified.
Hospitals
Journalists must identify themselves and obtain permission from a responsible executive
before entering non-public areas of hospitals or similar institutions to pursue enquiries.
The restrictions on intruding into privacy are particularly relevant to enquiries about
individuals in hospitals or similar institutions.
Reporting of crime
when reporting a crime, relatives or friends of persons convicted of committing a crime
should not have their identity shared if they do not give consent of such things, unless they
are relevant in context. The reason for this is because if there is a minor involved in the case
who can be a witness or the victim of the said crime, this must not restrict the right to report
legal proceedings.
Clandestine devices and subterfuge
The press must not seek to obtain or publish material acquired by using hidden cameras or
clandestine listening devices; or by intercepting private or mobile telephone calls, messages
or emails; or by the unauthorised removal of documents or photographs; or by accessing
digitally-held information without consent.
Victims of sexual assault
The press must not identify or publish material likely to lead to the identification of a victim
of sexual assault unless there is adequate justification and they are legally free to do so.
Discrimination
Details of an individual's race, colour, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or
mental illness or disability must be avoided unless genuinely relevant to the story.
9. Editors code of practice continued
Financial journalism
Even where the law isn't prohibited, journalists must not use for their own profit financial information they receive in advance of its
general publication, or should they pass any kind of information to others that shouldn’t have the information.
Confidential sources
Journalists have a moral obligation to protect confidential sources of information
Witness payments in criminal trials
No payment or offer of payment to a witness – or any person who may reasonably be expected to be called as a witness – should be
made in any case once proceedings are active as defined by the Contempt of Court Act 1981. This prohibition lasts until the suspect
has been freed unconditionally by police without charge or bail or the proceedings are otherwise discontinued; or has entered a guilty
plea to the court; or, in the event of a not guilty plea, the court has announced its verdict. Any payment or offer of payment made to a
person later cited to give evidence in proceedings must be disclosed to the prosecution and defence. The witness must be advised of
this requirement.
Payment to criminals
Payment or offers of payment for stories, pictures or information, which seek to exploit a particular crime or to glorify or glamorise
crime in general, must not be made directly or via agents to convicted or confessed criminals or to their associates. Editors invoking
the public interest to justify payment or offers would need to demonstrate that there was good reason to believe the public interest
would be served. If, despite payment, no public interest emerged, then the material should not be published.
11. Royalties
Royalties is when a magazine has included content which is copyrighted and if someone
else includes this information then they have to pay the original magazine. A company that
helps with this is NLA, they are a newspaper licensing company which sell copying licenses
to newspapers. Further to this, they ensure that each publisher get their royalties. Q
magazine and other magazines owned by Bauer media subscribed to the NLA.
http://www.copyrightroyalties.com/disclaimer
The google definition of royalties is “a payment made to writers, people who have
invented things, owners of property, etc. every time their books, devices, land, etc. are
bought or used by others”.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/royalty
12. Q’s complaint procedure:
For someone who is a subscriber to Q magazine and you are unhappy
with what they are providing, then there is a step-by-step on how to
follow through with a complaint. On the website of Q magazine there
are 3 very clear steps that must be followed for this process. Firstly,
look at previous FAQ’s to see if there is anything to help you in that
area. The second step is that when you have gone through the FAQ’s
then there is a contact line where you are able to speak to a team
leader or write to a subscriber service. Lastly, if the first two steps don’t
please your satisfactions then you can send a message to Bauer media,
this is will then be sent to a senior member of staff and you will get a
reply as soon as they can reply to your message.
https://www.qthemusic.com/q-cover-archive-the-80s/
13. Regulatory Issues
IP/Watermark
Content that usually has copyright can be referred to as Intellectual Property (IP) and this is protected by the law. IP can be
divided into two categories; Industrial Property and Copyright. As well as IP on printed work, you can get a digital watermark
which protects any copyrighted content from any magazine online and in any digital format. It is important to have this
because it means people will have to pay you to use your information/ ideas. The best way to protect your IP is to acquire a
patent. However, this can take several years to get and costs over $7000 in fees. The image below is an example of
watermarking, using their logo on every video they produce tells people that watch it will then see that it is their content and
if they enjoy it then they will want to see more of it.
https://www.ipso.co.uk/editors-code-of-practice/
Definition - What does Digital Watermark mean?
“A digital watermark is data embedded into digital intellectual property (IP) to identify its originator or owner. A digital
watermark tracks online digital media use and warns against potentially unauthorized access and/or use”.
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/23373/digital-watermark
14. Data Protection Act (1998)
The Date Protection Act 1998 is an act put in place by the untied kingdom parliament, this defines the ways in which information about living
people may be legally used and handled. Its main purpose is to make sure that certain individuals are protected against misuses or abuse of
information about them.
People that use data means that they would have to follow the strict rules that come with it, this is known as ‘data protection principles’. These
are the things that they must ensure the information is:
• Used fairly and lawfully
• Used for limited, specifically stated purposes
• Used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive
• Accurate
• Kept for no longer than is absolutely necessary
• Handled according to people’s data protection rights
• Kept safe and secure
• Not transferred outside the European Economic Area without
• adequate protection
If the information is more sensitive and needs the stricter rules such as:
• Ethnic background
• Political opinions
• Religious beliefs
• Health
• Sexual health
• Criminal records
https://www.gov.uk/data-protection
Q magazine has to follow this in
order to make sure that their
content cannot be used by any
others. On the other hand, if
they didn't’t follow the data
protection act
