Attitudes to potentially offensive language on TV and radio

A new report by Ipsos for the regulator Ofcom outlines public attitudes to offensive language on TV and radio. It will be shared with broadcasters to help them better understand audience expectations and generally accepted standards on TV and radio.

The report reveals that:

• Discriminatory or racist words were the least acceptable categories of words as people perceived these to be the most harmful to others as well as vulgar.
• The watershed remains important for protecting audiences, especially children, from strong language.
• Context is one of the most important considerations in assessing acceptability of language, making isolated judgements of specific words difficult.
• Aspects such as time, frequency, audience expectations of channel, genre and programme, warnings, tone, and other mitigating steps are taken into account by most people.
• Strong language is more likely to be tolerated if it reflects realistic situations, and is not gratuitous or excessive.
• The offensive gestures that were tested for the first time were deemed mostly unacceptable before the watershed.

This research follows two previous Ofcom studies on attitudes to potentially offensive language, carried out in 2005 and 2010. The 2016 study, the biggest of its kind, builds on the previous research by including a larger number of words, involving a broader range of minority groups as participants; and considering potentially offensive gestures for the first time.

The research used a mixed methodology involving 248 participants from around the UK. It comprised a series of face-to-face focus groups and in-depth interviews, and a separate online community where participants gave feedback on 150 potentially offensive words and gestures, and then discussed the reasons for their views.

• Download the quick reference guide (PDF)

Warning: these reports contain a wide range of words which may cause offence.