(Credit: Public Domain Pictures)

The UK press regulator the Independent Press Standards Organisation has new guidance for reporting on children. The guidance emphasizes that intruding on and reporting on children “can only be overridden if there is an exceptional reason to do so,” more so than in reporting on adults.

Cases where IPSO has ruled it’s in the public interest or acceptable to report on children include publishing video footage of bullying and reporting on an online petition signed by students.

For example, journalists cannot interview children under 16 without parental consent, and journalists shouldn’t approach children at school. Journalists shouldn’t identify “children who have been arrested and who will appear in youth court,” but journalists can identify children in crown court or who have been named publicly.

The guidance was released Jan. 24. In a press release, the IPSO head of standards Charlotte Urwin said, “There is often confusion about what the media can and can’t print when it comes to children. This new information will support the public to understand some of the questions we are often asked about this topic and explain how IPSO can help.”

The 13-page guidance is published on the IPSO website.