Regulation Sucks!

Most industries have their regulatory bodies - external and internal. They aren't the most liked sectors of an industry, but are important, as they put restrictions in place. With the Magazine Industry, these restrictions are mostly placed on writing styles and content.

One of the main forms of internal regulation in the Magazine Industry is a Style Guide, which is implemented in almost every magazine and is given to every journalist working for that magazine. The Style Guide is essentially an outline of how a writer is supposed to write for that magazine. Some guides may simply give basic instructions as to what type of word processors, fonts, colours, etc, are allowed to be used. Others, such as the Style Guide for The Times Magazine, list words and grammatical concepts alphabetically, almost like a dictionary, describing how these elements may or may not be used. A consequence of this kind of regulation is that it limits the writer/journalist's freedom of style, and instead of having a magazine which appears to be written by several people (as is the truth), you end up with the impression that only one person has written every article, whereupon the question, "what is the difference between a magazine and a book?" should be asked. This may however, be a benefit for more formal and informative magazines, because the writer's style doesn't matter as much, as they are simply transmitting information, not providing entertainment.

AIPCE (Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe) is an external regulator of the Magazine Industry. As well as the UK, AIPCE works with content regulation in press and broadcasting throughout all of Europe. These are some of the rules and beliefs they attempt to enforce:

• that the regulation of editorial content in the media should be independent of government;
• that media content regulation, whether national or regional in its coverage, should be based on nations’ differing cultures;
• that the writing of Codes of journalistic ethics and their administration is the business of journalists and publishers, who take into account public feelings, and not the business of governments;
• that it is not possible to operate a universal Code of ethics, and that the imposition of supra national Codes and regulatory organisations, either at the European or global level, should be opposed.

In my opinion, instead of hindering the Magazine Industry, this regulator is working to help it. It's like a union for the Magazine Industry, making sure it isn't compromised in some way. AIPCE especially seems to highlight the detachment of governmental influence and interference from any form of press or broadcasting - which in a democratic society, is a key and just notion.