Defamation
We must take particular care to avoid publishing defamatory material through our user generated content such as material posted on message boards. One option is to premoderate the high risk sites but this will not be suitable for all sites or necessarily the best legal solution.
For advice about the degree of moderation a site should receive, refer to Head of Editorial Affairs, New Media and Technology or Editorial Policy who will liaise with Programme Legal Advice if necessary.
Hosts and moderators should be familiar with the law of defamation. Where a potentially defamatory message has already been posted, the host or moderator should first remove it from public view and then contact Programme Legal Advice. If the message appears for posting on a premoderated board, Programme Legal Advice should be consulted before a decision is taken about whether to post it or not.
See Section 16: Law for more advice on defamation.