2. What is the
The press complaints commission is a self regulated body, which :
• Deals with complaints against the press
• Protects the rights of individuals
• Puts editors to account
• preserves appropriate freedom of expression for the press
3. Early Years
In 1953 the Press Council was founded
• It was voluntary
• Its aim was to:
- maintain high standards of ethics in journalism
- promote press freedom
• In the late 1980s:
- several newspapers breached these standards
- Many members of the Parliament doubted the effectiveness of the council
• The Government thus set up a departmental committee to investigate whether
a body with formal legal powers is needed to regulate the press
4. The Birth of the PCC
• David Calcutt, who headed the committee, published his report in June
1990:
- It recommended the setting up of a new Press Complaints Commission
- It should be given 18 months to prove its effectiveness with a full, published code of
conduct
- If it failed to be self regulated, new statutory controls should be introduced
• The press acted with great speed and co-operation to establish an
independent Press Complaints Commission in 1991.
5. Success
• The PCC has continued to grow in stature, after overcoming the
problems which most new organisations have, because of its
accomplishments in its early years
• Since 1995, the Government, the House of Commons Culture and several
Committees recognised the excellent work of the self regulated PCC over the
years
• In 2006, the PCC received over 3000 complaints
• In 2009 it was over 25 000 complaints
• 90% of the cases were resolved
6. Recent events
• In November 2012, the PCC responded to the publication of Lord
Leveson's Report:
• He reiterated a commitment to moving forward as swiftly as possible to a new
regulatory body.
• The UK newspaper/magazine industry has agreed to construct a new
regulatory system which is compliant with Leveson's recommendations.
• Lord Hunt, the chairman of the PCC, is working with the press to set up the
new organisation
