Social-media platforms such as X and Facebook are now being regulated under the Online Safety Act 2023. Broadcasters are already subject to Ofcom rules requiring due accuracy and due impartiality. Yet much of the press still operates under a different, largely self-regulatory model, even though newspapers and major online publishers can influence public opinion, damage reputations and help drive political pressure on a national scale.

If mass influence is the issue, accountability should follow influence, not platform type.

We need one coherent public-interest standard across platforms, broadcasters and the press: clear separation of fact from comment, prompt and prominent correction of serious inaccuracies, transparency around ownership and conflicts of interest, and meaningful sanctions for repeated reckless or materially misleading publication. The IPSO Editors’ Code already requires care over inaccurate, misleading or distorted information and requires clear distinction between comment and fact.

This is not censorship. It is equal accountability.

Disclaimer: This text is opinion on public policy and regulatory consistency. It does not allege unlawful conduct by any named person or organisation, and it is not legal advice.