By James Simons-
A complaint presented by a group of activists and politicians accusing Ipso of turning a blind eye to media racism and Islamaphobia in the press is to be scrutinised by a team of professional experts.
Three eminent lawyers, social workers, a psychologists and two writers from The Eye Of Media.Com, including the editor will be meeting in London’s West End on Saturday ton carefully examine every aspect of the complaint presented to the press regulator. The decision for the scheduled analytical discussion comes after an article published by a writer on this publication contained some dismissals of racism and Islamaphobia challenged by one member of our thinktank, who felt the matter should be discussed at length.
The special review came about after a monthly team discussion last Monday where the need for closer inspection of the allegations was demanded. The meeting was an extension of an earlier meeting that tool place on Mondat at Westfield in Statford, Eat London. An earlier publication on this site by a writer had dismissed some of the allegations of racism as unfounded, prompting a reaction from dissenting voices for an expert assessment to be carefully taken. The aim is to determine the validity or invalidity of all or any of the examples given that led to the joint complaint from Hack Off and a few celebrities.
The meeting will seek the highest logical evaluations for each element raised, comparing and analysing reasons for accepting or dismissing each example. Any example of racism or Islamaphobia expressed in the press which can be coherently demonstrated in a logical way will then present the press regulator. This will present the press regulator with a new challenge as to how to deal with such abuses in the British media if they can intelligently and incontrovertibly to shown to amount to either racism or Islamaphobia.
Ipso has a policy against discrimination in the press, but only in a clearly disparaging or perjorative sense. The press regulator’s policy on discrimination states:i) The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual’s, race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability.
ii) 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.
REJECTION
In a response to the open letter, IPSO chairman Sir Alan Moses said: “IPSO rejects the accusation that it condones religious and race-based hate or in any way approves of offensive attacks on groups on the grounds of their beliefs or identity.
“Our decisions on discrimination and accuracy make it clear that a finding that there has been no breach of the Editors’ Code does not in any way imply that IPSO approves of what has been written.
“The real issue, with which the letter fails to grapple, is how to strike a balance between the freedom of a journalist or newspaper to offend a group while protecting individuals.”
“We work every day to make these difficult judgements; we seek to maintain the balance between freedom of expression and protecting the public.
“A solution to the important problems of where and how the line is to be drawn is not going to be found by the misleading and distorted picture of IPSO’s work, particularly in the misuse of statistics.
REPRESENTATIVES
Some objectors have insisted that some of the The meeting will include a representative from the black and Asian race(the Asian being a Muslim) in the legal field , psychology and Social Work, another two black professionals, and 5 white individuals, comprising of two males and three females.
It is aimed at delivering a conclusive assessment of the extent to which the media exhibits signs of racism or Islamaphobia in the press, then formulating a comprehensive approach to prevent their recurrence.
It has already been agreed that any instances that reveal mistaken judgements by the complainants will outline why the error may have occurred , and analyse any views that call for a review of the inherent reasoning of the views. Some caution has already been advanced by some black members of the assessment group that the white individuals may be poorly suited to fairly determine whether racism or Islamaphobia has occurred, but this objection has been dismissed by The Eye Of Media.Com, who has faith in the expertise of those selected for the highly intellectual exercise.