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Our services provide journalists and news publishers with the protection and the support they need to publish with integrity, and offer the public and businesses affordable access to redress. News providers, supported by our expert team, can join our membership of 120+ publishers and 200+ publications.
The Impress Standards Code is a modern Code that aims to assist journalists by promoting and supporting their work. It also aims to protect the public from invasive journalistic practices and unethical news reporting.
Develop your expertise with our CPD-certified journalism accreditation. From ethical decision-making and legal frameworks to AI literacy and inclusive reporting, gain practical skills to build audience trust and elevate your career. Whether you're a journalist, content creator, or student, join industry professionals advancing ethical standards in modern media.
Impress is a champion for news that can be trusted. We are here to make sure news providers can publish with integrity; and the public can engage in an ever-changing media landscape with confidence. Together, we can build a future where ethical journalism is a cornerstone of a well-informed and connected society.
Defamation
Defamation refers to when a statement has been made which lowers a person’s character and reputation in the estimation of ordinary people.
Breach of confidence
Breach of confidence refers to when sensitive or confidential information, typically of a commercial or technical nature, has been disclosed without authorisation.
Misuse of private information
Misuse of private information refers to the wrongful or threatened publication, of personal information.
Malicious falsehood
Malicious falsehood refers to a published statement about a person which is allegedly untrue, malicious, and has directly resulted in the economic loss or likely economic loss.
Harassment
Harassment is a course of conduct (occurring on at least two occasions) which causes fear of violence, serious alarm or distress. This can include stalking offences such as watching or spying on someone.
Breach of the Data Protection Act
A breach of the Data Protection Act 2018 can occur if a publisher contravenes one of the data protection principles listed under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) when processing personal data. However, publishers are not obligated to comply with certain data protection principles in the interests of protecting freedom of expression.
The Attribution and Plagiarism clause requires that content creators are credited when their work is used. If a publisher is unable to identify them, then they must take reasonable steps to attempt to do so, and accompany the content with a note that explains this. Any failure to credit the originator must be corrected as early as possible. For example, if a photographer approaches a publisher to inform them that they have used their content, then the publisher must amend the picture’s caption or add a note or link crediting the creator into the article.
This clause ensures that published content is transparent and accountable, provides credit to content creators, and allows publishers to openly show the public how published content has been sourced and produced.
Extensive research has shown strong links between news literacy and public trust in not only the media, but across society and institutions.
Understanding how the news works, how journalists put stories together, and how the media is regulated allows the public to understand the news that comes up on their screens. Not only that, it allows them to apply it to their lives effectively and actively, in turn building resilience to misinformation.
Strengthening public participation with the media and programs to increase media literacy means that we can empower the public and the media in working together to make the most of what the media has to offer.