UK Legal Frameworks For Magazines

Thomas Allison 0051

Before beginning to plan my magazine or even research into other types of magazines my main focus was to research into the UK legal framework for magazines which was put forward by CAP. The main rules that may interfere with me creating a magazine are:

• ‘Marketing communications must conform with the Code. Primary responsibility for observing the Code falls on marketers...’.
• ‘All marketing communications should be legal, decent, honest and truthful.’
• ‘All marketing communications should be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society.’
• No marketing communication should mislead, or be likely to mislead, by inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration, omission or otherwise.
• Marketers should not exploit the credulity, lack of knowledge or inexperience of consumers.
• Marketing communications should contain nothing that condones or is likely to provoke violence or anti-social behaviour.
• No marketing communication should cause fear or distress without good reason. Marketers should not use shocking claims or images merely to attract attention.
• Marketing communications should contain nothing that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Particular care should be taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or disability. Compliance with the Code will be judged on the context, medium, audience, product and prevailing standards of decency.
• Marketing communications may be distasteful without necessarily conflicting with 5.1 above. Marketers are urged to consider public sensitivities before using potentially offensive material.
• ‘Publishers announcing reader promotions on the front page or cover should ensure that consumers know whether they will be expected to buy subsequent editions of the publication. Major conditions that might reasonably influence consumers significantly in their decision to buy the publication should appear on the front page or cover.’
• ‘A recommended retail price (RRP), or similar, used as a basis of comparison should be genuine; it should not differ significantly from the price at which the product is generally sold.’

I must consider all the above, this involves being decent and truthful showing no offence. I must also take responsibility for my actions and my consumers. My magazine is a movie magazine front cover and will show no racism or sexual activity or any offence of any kind. The last 2 bullet points refer to magazine front covers especially which is what I am focusing on and therefore I must obey and not exceed the rules. The first bullet points refers to add ons and collectable items within magazines which must be expressed on the front page however this does not refer to me as this magazine is a one off and only refers to my film. The second bullet point refers to the price which must be displayed on the front. I must consider this when constructing my magazine.

Now I know the legal requirements I can now begin researching and begin to construct my magazine.