Ipso launches new symbol in fight against 'fake news'

A new symbol to help people ensure what they are reading is not "fake news" has been launched by the press self-regulation body.

Newspapers, websites and magazines signed up to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) can, from Monday, use the mark carrying the tagline "For press freedom with responsibility".

Ipso said the mark is particularly useful at a time when the "public's trust in journalism has been undermined because of the rise of 'fake news'".

Chief executive, Matt Tee said: "I strongly believe that IPSO membership helps our publishers distinguish themselves from the unregulated, thereby demonstrating that they choose to hold themselves accountable to higher standards."

He said the mark and what it stands for could help organisations to overcome challenges currently facing the industry.

He said: "The newspaper and magazine industry faces a number of complex challenges over the short term and I firmly believe that one of the ways in which it can thrive and prosper is by its commitment to independent, effective regulation.

"That means IPSO, and that's why I'm proud that so many of our member publications will proudly display our mark on their pages."

Ipso, a voluntary press-funded body not backed by the Government, was launched in 2014 following the Leveson Inquiry which concluded the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was not working.

The UK's officially recognised press regulator is Impress, which in October fought off a High Court challenge over its status due to reliance on funds coming from former motor sport mogul Max Mosley.