Press Complaints Commission: United Kingdom
Sir Christopher Meyer (Chair)
Tim Toulmin ( Director)
Halton House
20/23 High Holborn
London EC1N 2JD
Tel: 44 207 831 0022
Fax: 44 207 831 0025
Email: complaints@pcc.org.uk
- The PCC is an independent self-regulatory body which deals with complaints about the editorial content of newspapers and magazines (and their websites). They do not deal with complaints about TV and radio (Ofcom is the regulator for the broadcast industry)
- The PCC deals with all editorially-controlled material in UK newspapers and magazines (and their websites).
- The PCC suggests that citizens first attempt a direct approach to editors before considering a formal complaint to the PCC. Any such approach should be made promptly. If you do not receive a reply within a week - or if you are dissatisfied by the editor's response - PCC recommends that you write to them as soon as possible.
Office of the Press Ombudsman: Ireland
- The Office of the Press Ombudsman is part of a new system of independent regulation for the printed media in Ireland. Their aim is to provide the public with a quick, fair and free method of resolving any complaints they may have in relation to newspapers and magazines published in Ireland that are members of the Press Council of Ireland.
- Ofcom considers all complaints it receives and will assess any complaint against the Broadcasting Code. The Code contains the rules all UK broadcasters (including the BBC in certain areas) must comply with. Recent examples of Ofcom’s published decisions regarding a range of programmes.
- Ofcom is the regulator for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services.
- The BBC has its own complaints procedure for radio and television programmes. Ofcom can also deal with complaints about about editorial standards in radio and television broadcasts (but not online items or the World Service). Ofcom takes complaints about BBC issues except impartiality, inaccuracy and some commercial issues which remain the responsibility of the BBC Trust.
BBC Trust Complaints
- Editorial complaints are complaints about the content of BBC output. If you want to make an editorial complaint you should complain to the BBC Executive. If you are not happy with your response from the BBC Executive you can appeal to the Trust.
Regulatory and advice bodies other than the PCC:
Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe (AIPCE)
- AIPCE is a loose network of content regulators for both the press and broadcast media in Europe.
Defence, Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee
- The DA Notice system (which is overseen by the Defence, Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee), is a voluntary code that provides guidance to the British media on the publication or broadcasting of national security information.
- For information and contact details for Press Councils throughout the world.
Press Organisations
Association of Online Publishers
- The UK Association of Online Publishers (AOP) is an industry body representing online publishing companies that create original, branded, quality content.
- The Editors' Code of Practice Committee, writes and revises the voluntary code of standards overseen by the Press Complaints Commission. It also publishes the Editors' Codebook, a practical handbook for journalists and editors which explains the Code of Practice and the PCC's key rulings in detail.
- The Society of Editors has more than 400 members in national, regional and local newspapers, magazines, broadcasting and new media, journalism education and media law. It campaigns for media freedom, self regulation, the public's right to know and the maintenance of standards in journalism.
- The Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) is the trade association for UK magazine and B2B media publishers. PPA represents 300 publisher members, publishing 3,000 magazine titles, as well as exhibitions, directories and interactive products. Magazine and B2B media companies generate around £6.2bn of turnover, which is about 10 per cent of the combined turnover of the UK creative industries.
- The Newspaper Society represents and promotes the interests of Britain's regional and local press. It was founded in 1836 and is believed to be the oldest publishers' association in the world.
- The Scottish Newspaper Publishers Association (SNPA) is the trade association representing publishers of 100 weekly and bi-weekly newspapers and a further 30 free distribution newspapers.
- The Citizens Advice service -info about making press complaints - Complaints about the press
Press Councils:
Australian Press Council
Julian Disney (Chair)
Jack Herman (Executive Secretary)
Suite 10.02
117 York Street
Sydney - NSW 2000
Tel: (612) 92 61 19 30
Fax: 612 92 67 68 26
Email: info@presscouncil.org.au
COMPLAINTS
- The Australian Press Council was established in 1976 by an agreement between the publishers and the journalists' union to provide a forum through which members of the public could complain about the ethical performance of the print media. Its membership consisted, and consists, of members of the public, journalists and representatives of the publishers of metropolitan, suburban, regional and country newspapers and of the general interest magazines.
High Authority for the Mass Media
(Portugal)
Alta autoridade para a comunicaçao social (AACS)
Mr Armando Torres Paulo (President); José Garibaldi (Vice-President)
Av. D. Carlos I, 130 - 6°
1200 Lisbon
Tel: 351 1 392 91 30
Fax: 351 1 395 14 49
Email: info@aacs.pt
- Independent constitutional body for the regulation of the media in Portugal and it operates alongside the Assembly of the Republic.
Press Council of Ireland Members
- The Press Council has 13 members. Seven of these, including the Chairman, are drawn from suitably qualified persons representative of a broad spectrum of Irish society. The remaining six members of the Press Council provide senior editorial and journalistic expertise and perspectives reflective of the press industry.
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