News UK’s 2015 annual report to the Independent Press Standards Organisation revealed the company, which publishes the Sun, the Times, the Sunday Times and the Times Literary Supplement, has a new policy requiring its managing editors sign off on “all copy relating to transgender matters.”
That policy came after IPSO, the UK press regulator, ruled against the publisher’s UK Sun for its reporting on Emily Brothers, the first blind, transgender Parliament member in the UK. As iMediaEthics reported last year, IPSO found the column by Rod Liddle discriminatory.
“Being blind, how did she know she was the wrong sex?” Liddle wrote. The column “belittled Ms Brothers, her gender identity and her disability, mocking her for no other reason than these perceived ‘differences,’” IPSO chief executive Matt Tee commented.
iMediaEthics has written to News UK to learn more about its new policy. We’ll update with any response.
The annual report to IPSO also says new hires get a book on best practices, ethics, the editor’s code, as well as training on “individual legal and ethical issues”. The Sun‘s ombudsman handles complaints and corrections requests. The Times, Sunday Times and Times Literary Supplement have a form for complaints, the report says.
IPSO ruled against the Sun twice (one breach of discrimination, and one for accuracy), dismissed 9 complaints and partially upheld 1 complaint. IPSO ruled against the Times 4 times (3 for accuracy, 1 for reporting on crime), while dismissing 12 complaints.
IPSO only handled 2 complaints regarding the Sunday Times – one upheld over accuracy and one rejected.
There were no complaints against the Times Literary Supplement, the report said.
Read News UK’s report here.
Check out iMediaEthics’ report on publisher Associated Newspapers’ filing to IPSO. Associated Newspapers publishes the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, MailOnline and Metro.