New BBC Editorial Guidelines: Accuracy is more important than speed

The BBC’s new Editorial Guidelines and the new Ofcom (Office of Communications) Broadcasting Code came into force on 25 July 2005. The single, simplified Ofcom Code is the product of extensive consultation and modernises and unifies the six codes inherited from Ofcom’s broadcasting regulator predecessors into a framework of clear rules and principles. The BBC Guidelines have been revised in order to reflect Ofcom’s new Code and to apply editorial lessons learned since the BBC’s last update in 2000 and, in particular, lessons that came out of the Hutton inquiry.

For the first time, the new Ofcom Code sets out each relevant principle and rule, and then specific practices to be followed by broadcasters to ensure standards in relation to fairness and privacy are maintained. However, a breach of these practices is not a breach of the Code unless it results in unfairness or infringement of privacy.