Ofcom Legal and Ethical Broadcast Rules surrounding Gender.

Ofcom Legal and Ethical Broadcast Rules surrounding Gender.

2.3 In applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context (see meaning of "context" below). Such material may include, but is not limited to, offensive language, violence, sex, sexual violence, humiliation, distress, violation of human dignity, discriminatory treatment or language (for example on the grounds of age, disability, gender, race, religion, beliefs and sexual orientation). Appropriate information should also be broadcast where it would assist in avoiding or minimising offence.
Meaning of "context":
Context includes (but is not limited to):

• the editorial content of the programme, programmes or series;
• the service on which the material is broadcast;
• the time of broadcast;
• what other programmes are scheduled before and after the programme or programmes concerned;
• the degree of harm or offence likely to be caused by the inclusion of any particular sort of material in programmes generally or programmes of a particular description;
• the likely size and composition of the potential audience and likely expectation of the audience;
• the extent to which the nature of the content can be brought to the attention of the potential audience for example by giving information; and
• the effect of the material on viewers or listeners who may come across it unawares.

- Taken from Section Two: Harm and Offence of The Ofcom Broadcasting Code 2011.

- http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/broadcast-codes/broadcast-code-february2011/harmoffence/