ICO has been working on a statutory code of practice to help media organisations and critical staff with compliance responsibilities, such as senior editors, data protection officers and lawyers, understand their obligations. The ICO is required to produce the code under the Data Protection Act 2018.

The draft journalism code of practice is now out for consultation, and the support it offers reflects changes in legislation, developments in privacy case law and the digital age. 

It provides practical help to strike the right balance between journalism, freedom of expression and data protection and responds to feedback from their earlier call for views.

The code does not concern press conduct or standards in general, and journalists can be reassured that data protection law and the code will not stop them from doing their job of informing the public and holding the powerful to account, said Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner in her blog.

The code aims to support media organisations and journalists in getting data protection right, which ultimately helps them build and maintain public trust and confidence in their work.