The guidance, which is intended to support compliance by editors and journalists with the Editors’ Code, explains how key clauses, including Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 12 (Discrimination), apply to reporting in this area. It outlines key questions for journalists to consider and includes relevant case studies. IPSO says that the guidance has been informed by extensive engagement with community organisations, academic experts, journalists and editors.

Fiyaz Mughal, Founder of Faith Matters and Tell Mama, said “I welcome this guidance document, which is an excellent balance after much deliberation and engagement by IPSO, its regulated publishers and diverse community activists and organisations where there is not always pluralism of thought or opinion. I strongly believe that any faith or ideology must be open to critique and that opinions by writers in publications should be protected. This means negative or derogatory opinions around faiths must be protected for publication, however much those views are disagreed with. However, on issues of fact that do not have anything to do with Muslims and Islam and which are woven into stories and conjecture that maligns whole communities so that it promotes discriminatory views about them, this document makes clear that there are important guidelines that should be followed”. To read IPSO’s announcement in full and for a link to the guidance, click here.