The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published "Data protection: a guide for the media," a practical compliance guide for those who work in news media to help them understand their obligations under the Data Protection Act.

The guidance, published on September 4, is a response to one of the recommendations contained in the Report by Lord Justice Leveson on the Culture, Practice and Ethics of the Press. It follows a long period of discussion with the media industry and through formal public consultation. The guidance is a practical tool primarily aimed at senior editors or other staff with compliance or training responsibilities, as well as freelance journalists who are likely to have their own responsibilities under the act.

The guidance is split into three sections. “Practical guidance” provides key considerations around basic concepts such as obtaining and retaining personal data, data security, confidential sources and dealing with subject access requests. “Technical guidance” provides further detail on how the underlying legal provisions of the act are interpreted by the ICO, in particular the Section 32 exemption for journalism. “Disputes” sets out the role of the ICO, including what happens if someone complains under the act and will therefore be of interest to senior editors or staff responsible for data protection compliance.

The guidance is available here.