Impress

Overview

Impress, formally Impress: The Independent Monitor for the Press CIC, is an independent press regulator in the United Kingdom that oversees more than 200 news titles, primarily independent, local and investigative publications. It is the only press regulator formally recognized by the UK's Press Recognition Panel as meeting the independence and effectiveness criteria set out in the 2013 Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press.

Key functions and role

Impress investigates and adjudicates complaints against its member publishers under its Standards Code, a code co-created with industry, the public and civil society and covering areas including accuracy, discrimination, privacy and justice reporting. It operates an Alternative Dispute Resolution and arbitration scheme with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, issues a "Trust in Journalism" mark to member publishers, and provides CPD-certified ethics training for journalists in partnership with the University of Huddersfield.

History

Free speech advocate Jonathan Heawood founded the IMPRESS Project in 2013 to build a press regulator compliant with the recommendations of the 2012 Leveson Inquiry into press culture, practices and ethics, which followed the phone-hacking scandal involving News of the World. On October 25, 2016, Impress became the first and, as of the most recent reporting, only UK press regulator to be formally recognized under the Royal Charter, after the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) -- adopted by most major national newspapers -- declined to seek recognition. The News Media Association's legal challenges to Impress's recognized status were rejected by the High Court in 2017 and ultimately abandoned in 2019.

Political positions

Impress describes itself as independent of both government and the newspaper industry, funded through the Independent Press Regulation Trust rather than by member publishers' parent companies. No national newspaper has joined Impress; most large UK titles instead belong to the industry-funded IPSO, and some national newspapers, including The Guardian and Financial Times, belong to neither regulator. Debate over Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, which would have penalized publishers outside a recognized regulator in certain legal costs disputes, divided the press industry before the provision was repealed by the Media Act 2024.

Leadership

Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana serves as Chief Executive Officer. Jonathan Heawood, the organization's founder, led it in its early years before its formal recognition.

Location and contact info

Address
86-90 Paul Street
London, EC2A 4NE, United Kingdom
Phone
020 3325 4288
Email
info@impressorg.com
Website
https://www.impressorg.com