Measuring the potential to cause offence in the media isn’t an exact science – but it is possible

Regulatory exercises are often about judging shades of grey – even the law is frequently much less black and white than we might like to imagine

It is good news indeed that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has announced changes to the UK Advertising Codes that will see harmful gender stereotypes banned in the future.

This comes on the back of various ads that caused outrage over the way they pigeonholed men and women into particular roles. Asda’s christmas advert a few years ago portrayed a knackered mother doing all the preparation for the family’s upcoming festivities: it drew 600 complaints from viewers.