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