Tuesday 8 March 2011

Press Complaints Commission


What the PCC does:
  • Independent body
  • Deals with complaints about editorial content of magazines/newspapers and their websites
  • 16 clause Code of Practice to which editors/journalists must adhere
  • Investigates complaints from people with belief code has been breached
  • Acts as mediator between editor and complainant to find resolution (e.g. apology, public correction, clarification), seeking 'sufficient remedial action'
  • If case isn't resolved simply, PCC assesses evidence in an adjudication, reasoning whether to uphold or reject complaint
How the system works:
  • Not legal or government run
  • Voluntary agreement of newspaper/magazine to be regulated by independent body
  • Code of Practice drawn up by editors
  • Commission run by majority public ('lay') members (10/17 including chairman)
Code of practices:
  • Covers 4 main areas - accuracy, privacy, news gathering & protecting the vulnerable
  • Editor expected to take responsibility for stories/photographs complying with the code
  • Editor can defend publication and its behaviour as 'in public interest'
  • Doesn't cover issues of taste/decency as in democracy publications should be free to choose style
  • Understands individuals choose to look at a newspaper and can make their own decisions
  • Contrasts to more public mediums (e.g. billboards) may be ruled inappropriate on taste
Funding:
  • Through body called 'Press Standards Board of Finance' (PressBof) who are responsible for collecting money from newspapers/magazines in UK
  • Press agreed to pay amount in proportion to no. of readers in circulation
  • No public/government funding
History:
  • Set up in 1991, replacing Press Council
  • In 1980s, a small no. of publications failed to observe basic ethics of journalism leading to MPs loss in confidence in Press Council
  • Government then appointed Calcutt to consider "measures needed to give protection to individual privacy...improving recourse of press for citizens"
  • House of Commons Culture, Media & Sport select committee concluded "non-statutory regulation can work effectively"
  • Belief employed that self regulation prevents authoritarianism and undermining democracy
Who complains to the PCC and why:
  • Anyone who believes an article involving them breaches the Code
  • 1.5% came from those in public eye, 95.8% from general public (2007)
  • Special protection to vulnerable groups (e.g. children, hospital patients)
  • Majority of complaints about regional newspapers
Importance of the PCC:
  • In a democracy the press shouldn't be stringently controlled by law/government
  • Maintains democracy as it is independent and voluntary
  • Doesn't allow free from accountability - wrongs must be righted
  • PCC committed to protecting public by ensuring broken rules are resolved asap
  • Fast - deals with complaints in average of 35 days
  • Free - costs nothing to use service
  • Fair - independent from industry it was set up to regulate

No comments:

Post a Comment