2. History
• Press regulation started with the creation of a Press Council in
1953, their aims where to maintain an ethical approach to journalism
and encourage press freedom.
• During the 1980s, this failed due to publications breaking basic ethic of
journalism. Therefore, Parliament members believed that the Press
Council was not an effective body for press regulation.
• David Calcutt was appointed there to come up with a solution that
would respect individual privacy from the press.
• Thus, Calcutt’s report was published in 1990, which recommended
setting up the Press Complaint Commission which would replace the
Press Council.
• The Press Complaints Commission was given the task to demonstrate
they were effective in regulating the press in 18 months.
• They proved successful which meant that an independent Press
Complaints Commission was set up in 1991.
3. • However, the PCC has essentially followed in
the footsteps of the Press Council by allowing
unethical means of journalism to be
published. This is evident from the recent
scandal of phone hacking used by the press.
The PCC are now in talks of whether they
should continue their press regulation. This
has come as a result of Lord Justice Leveson’s
report.
