Standards Investigations Panel – Editorial Panellists

IPSO is seeking people with a diverse range of skills and experiences, including candidates with recent senior experience in digital or print news industries, to join its Standards Investigations Panel.

IPSO – the Independent Press Standards Organisation – is the regulator of most newspapers, magazines, and digital news in the UK. We uphold high editorial standards to protect the public and freedom of expression.

Alongside IPSO’s work handling complaints about individual standards breaches, it also has the power to conduct standards investigations where it considers that there may have been serious and systemic breaches of the Editors’ Code. This could lead to the publication of an adjudication, the requirement for a publisher to submit a quarterly statement or a fine. IPSO is looking to refresh its pool of standards investigation panellists.

In an instance where IPSO’s Board decided to initiate a standards investigation, three panellists would be chosen from the pool to oversee the investigation and to report their findings back to the Board.

We are seeking people with a diverse range of skills and experiences, including candidates with recent senior experience in digital or print news industries (but not currently a serving editor of a title that IPSO does or could regulate).

Role responsibilities include:

• Developing and agreeing a plan for undertaking investigations;
• Reviewing relevant documentation held by IPSO; identifying and obtaining relevant documentation held by third parties;
• Interviewing representatives of publishers under investigation;
• Reaching conclusions on the outcomes of the investigation and detailing the contents in an investigation report.

We are looking for people with:

• Recent senior editorial experience at one or more of the different types of publishers that IPSO regulates (tabloid and broadsheet national newspapers; local newspapers; magazines; and Scottish newspapers);
• An understanding of and interest in the principles and/or practice of regulation;
• The ability to assimilate large quantities of detailed and technical information;
• An understanding of the importance of confidentiality and an ability to follow safeguards in place to avoid breaches of confidentiality;
• A high level of interpersonal and communication skills.

The time commitment will generally be low, consisting of attending a training session 1-2 times per year, but would be significantly more intense for panellists participating in an investigation, particularly around the start and conclusion of an investigation. While IPSO anticipates that candidates will have other professional commitments which may prevent their participation in any particular investigation, candidates will be expected to demonstrate that they have flexibility such that there is a reasonable prospect that they would be able to undertake the time commitment required to conduct an investigation if required.

We would also welcome applications from candidates with the following backgrounds, although these are not essential:

• Experience of leading investigations;
• Experience of participating in tribunals;
• Experience in audit or finance.

Panel members will be paid a daily rate of £400 a day whilst engaged in a standards investigation. There will be no retainer fee paid.

You can see a full role description here.

How to apply

To apply, please read the full role description and forward your CV with a cover letter outlining why you are interested in the role and how you are suitable, along with a Diversity Monitoring form to [email protected] by 5 p.m. on Friday 30th May.

Candidates are required to fill in the Diversity Monitoring form, which can be found here. Please note that although this form is required for applications to be considered, candidates are free to opt out of any questions.

If you have questions about the role or process you can write to [email protected] and we will do our best to help.

IPSO will reimburse reasonable travel costs for attending interviews. If you require a reasonable adjustment, please include that information with your application. In-person interviews are preferred but IPSO conducts interviews by video call where needed and candidates choosing this option will not be disadvantaged.

Closing date for applications: Friday 30th May at 5 p.m.

Further details are available on IPSO’s website.

Please mention HoldtheFrontPage when applying for this role. This advert will expire on Friday 30th May 2025.