Here are published short news items concerning press councils and other "media accountability systems" (MAS). Contributions are welcome, about conferences, books about media ethics or MAS; the creation of a press council or the invention of a new MAS - or again scandals, trials, demonstrations involving media ethics, i.e. good or bad public service by the media. Send us an email at ipc.web@noos.fr A basic purpose of MAS is to preserve the liberty of the press, but since many websites deal with the fight for freedom (see "Useful Links"), this website will abstain. An excellent listing of media ethics events can be found in the quarterly "Media Ethics" (media_ethics@emerson.edu) from Emerson College (Boston, Massachusetts) (click here to view news menu)

21st February 2007

An Agenda for Change in Journalism

A year of inaction is ending, during which the Independent Press Councils (IPC) website became the Media Accountability (MAS) website as it moved from London (UK) to Columbia (USA), from the sponsorship of the (British) Press Complaints Commission to that of the University of Missouri. During which also, the webmaster fought lung cancer. The rebirth is marked by the publication on the website of the very remarkable report which Geneva Overholser has written on the conference that was gathered at the University of Pennsylvania in June 2005 by the Annenberg Foundation with a view to pursuing the task of the famous Hutchins Commission in the 1940s. It can be found in the Library Section of the Information Center. Top

11th March 2006

Mediamorphosis for the IPC website

Within days, the IPC website will move from the UK to the US (more precisely to the University of Missouri) and will become the "M*A*S website", thus will be more clearly associated to "media accountability systems". Please note the new URL www.media-accountability.org A reminder: the website at present contains over 400 media codes of ethics, close to 500 titles of books and 250 weblinks related to media ethics, a directory of world press councils and a large number of documents (texts and figures) concerning M*A*S. After a period of somnolence, the website will soon resume its former activities in support of media accountability - and develop new ones. You can contact me at cjbertrand@noos.fr Claude-Jean Bertrand Top

6th March 2006

One Third More Media Accountability Systems

As the IPC website is about to move to the University of Missouri in Colombia, under the auspices of the Reynolds Institute For Journalism, an update of the list of M*A*S has brought their number from 80 to over 100, over 110 in fact. The full catalogue is available on the website in the "media accountability systems" section of the Information Centre. Top

12th January 2006

2005 Conference of European Press Councils

The seventh annual meeting of the Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe (AIPCE) took place in Luxembourg on September 29-30, 2005. The next conference is scheduled to be held in Sofia in the Fall of 2006. Will Gore, of the British PCC, has been kind enough to make his notes on the conference available. You can find them on the IPC website in the Information Centre, "Media Accountability Systems" Section. They summarise the 2005 reports made by representatives from 20 nations with PCs or in the process of creating PCs, plus two from Peruvian and Mongolian observers. Standing separately, are presentations of the PCs in Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. Top

2nd November 2005

Russia: Press Complaints Collegium established

For 7 years, the Russian Union of Journalists has had an internal "Grand Jury" to consider "ethical disputes that flare up within the media community". In July 2005, it set up an external "Public Collegium for Media Complaints", composed of two commissions. The 25 members of the "Chamber of Media Associations" are nominated (for 5 years) by associations of journalists, broadcasters, of advertisers, of PR agents and other media NGOs. The 25 members of the "Chamber of Media Audience" are nominated by political parties, Churches, trade unions and other non-media NGOs. The central aims of the Collegium are "creating a culture of highly professional and honest reporting", " restoring and strengthening public trust of the media" and "promoting media freedoms in the Russian Federation". Media-related disputes shall be considered by "ad hoc collegiums" (smaller committees established for the purpose of settling each particular dispute) that shall be formed by concerted decision of the Collegium co-chairs from the number of Collegium members volunteering to participate in the session. In the future, the vastness of the country may require that regional and local collegiums be established in the future, with the central Collegium's consent. Top

2nd November 2005

World Survey of M*A*S

A world inventory of existing "media accountability systems", 80 of them (including, of course, press councils, ombudsmen, journalism reviews etc.) is in progress. All countries are concerned except those where no press freedom exists at all, like Belarus or North Korea. The questionnaire is accessible on the IPC website (www.presscouncils.org) in the "Information Centre", section "Media Accountability Systems". There also can be found the full list of M*A*S. All media experts, and other close observers of the media scene in their country, are begged to check whether they can make a contribution to the vast data gathering. The filled-in questionnaire is to be emailed to ipc.web@noos.fr Top

2nd November 2005

A Press Council in Georgia (Caucasus)

After several years of arduous debate, with the discreet support of the Council of Europe, on July 25th, with the help of the Open Society Institute (Soros), the national and regional media organizations of Georgia established a Media Council. It consists of 11 members, five from the media (one owner/publisher, one editor, one journalist, one academic, one representative of regional media) and six non-media members. The board was elected in September. Alas,the situation was then frozen for lack of funds. Much is now expected of foundations, but should not press councils in the wealthier part of the planet consider giving some assistance? Top

11th October 2005

Press Councils and M*A*S in the Pacific

The Fall 2005 issue of the "Pacific Journalism Review" , published in New Zealand (pjreview@aut.ac.nz) , will be devoted to media ethics and accountability systems (M*A*S). One article, by Shailendra Singh, considers "six South Pacific island countries that have have adopted, or are in the process of adopting, self-regulatory M*A*S mechanisms following Government pressure: the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. M*A*S have been slow to take root in Oceania. Apart from Papua New Guinea, Fiji is the trend-setter in the region. Following the establishment of the Fiji Media Council in the mid-1990s, several other South Pacific island countries were keen to the follow the lead. Tonga now has a similar body with a code of ethics and which includes public members empowered to receive and adjudicate on complaints against the media. In Samoa, a study has been carried out in order to establish a media council-type body. The Solomon Islands Media Council is an industry organisation that does not yet have a complaints procedure. It is considering including this mechanism in line with the Papua New Guinea Media Council with which it shares a website and has a cooperative agreement". Top

13th September 2005

Media Ethics Monitoring in Burundi

In 2002, OMAC was created, a nine-nation media organization for central Africa. Now OMAC and its Burundi branch OPB (Observatory of the Burundi Press) have set up a monitoring centre in Bujumbura, with the financial help of USAID. The centre aims at helping OMAC and OPB contribute to a better observance of media ethics. On a daily basis, its team of observers will monitor print and electronic media in Burundi and will publish regular reports. As pointed out on the IPC website, media observatories have flowered in francophone sub-Saharan Africa in recent years, while press councils have appeared in the anglophone countries. This reflects a desire of journalists in the region to improve the quality of the news media and to deprive governments of excuses for limiting media freedom. Unfortunately, observatories often lack the means to do their job (little help comes from media in the wealthy part of the planet). And governments resent such efforts at developing an energetic independent press. Top

29th July 2005

IPC Bibliography Updated

The bibliography on the "www.presscouncils.org" website has just been updated. It now holds about 470 titles of books, mainly in English but also in French, German, Spanish. Books dealing with media "social responsibility", media ethics, codes, media criticism, press councils and other "media accountability systems". Books about ethics in various fields of mass communication (including PR, advertising and new media) and various parts of the world. If you notice errors or omissions, please send an email to cjbertrand@noos.fr. Top

23rd June 2005

A Competition to Launch New Press Councils

The Minnesota News Council, based in Minneapolis, and the Washington News Council, based in Seattle, will oversee a national competition for two start-up grants of $75,000 for non-profit groups interested in launching new state news councils in the US. The funds were made possible by a grant of $250,000 to the Minnesota and Washington councils by the Knight Foundation in Miami, which since 1950 has promoted excellence in journalism. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to raise additional funds, including a significant portion from media organizations, to support operations for at least three years. The application deadline is Feb. 15, 2006. Grant applicants may be coalitions of citizen groups, media outlets, journalism schools, civic activists or business associations. "News councils that actually take the time to investigate a complaint before reaching a conclusion are a welcome relief from today's horde of self-appointed media critics offering froth without fact," said Eric Newton, of the Knight Foundation. "In an era of increased scrutiny of media practices, news councils provide a time-tested way to encourage fair coverage and public participation." "If the news media want to restore their eroding credibility with the public, they should embrace the news council concept," said John Finnegan, Sr., chair of the Minnesota council and retired executive editor of the daily "St. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer Press". A June 2005 Gallup Poll showed that public trust in US newspapers and television continues to decline. Since 2000, the percentage of those having a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in newspapers has fallen to 28% from 37% and in TV to 28% from 36%. [Source: Sharon Moshavi at the Knight Foundation] Top

22nd April 2005

New African Media Council – in Cameroon

Last March, with the support of the Canadian embassy (and with the blessing of the Ministry of Communication), the Union of Cameroo-nian Journalists set up a "Conseil Camerounais des Médias" (CCM) to examine cases of violation of the professional ethics code. The CCM consists of nine members: 4 journalists, 2 publishers, 2 lay members and an expert in media law. The immediate purpose of the council is to avoid the intervention of the courts and jail terms for news people. [Source: Panos-Paris Newsletter] Top

22nd April 2005

The Dutch Press Council and the AIPCE

The Dutch council was set up by the "Raad voor de Journalistiek" foundation, representing both print and electronic media. It differs from many other European PCs in that its business is strictly limited to examining complaints (like the British PCC) and it includes no public members (like the German Presserat). To be noted, however, is that 13 of its now (since April 2005) 30 members, are non-journalists who come from major institutions - while its president and three VPs come from the bench. Up to now, it also differed in that it kept away from the annual meetings of the Alliance of European PCs. But it has decided that it would attend the 7th AIPCE conference, to be help in Luxembourg on the 29 and 30 of September 2005. Top

26th March 2005

Armenia: Press Council on the Way

A nation in the Caucasus provides an illustration of how media self-regulation can be promoted even in a difficult environment. Thanks to the patient efforts of the Yerevan Press Club (publications, seminars, study visits etc.), over a number of years, to educate the media community about media accountability, it is taking root. Its premise was that self-regulation required three groups of interests to cooperate : (a) the media industry, (b) the professional journalists, (c) the public. By now (a) and (b) have more or less been institutionalised through associations like the Journalists' Union, the Press Club, Internews Armenia – and some very efficient NGOs. So as to get (a) on board the project, a "summit" was recently organised of owners and top managers from 70% of leading Armenian media. It issued a memorandum with two main points: its commitment to the idea of creating a media self-regulation system – and, as a first step, its decision to found a Media Association of Armenia to represent the industry . After this proves its ability to represent the industry, it can join "b" and "c" to initiate self-regulation. The constituent meeting of the MAA is planned for the end of April 2005. The Association will unite all branches of media but will have four sections so as to address the specific interests of each (print media, TV, radio and Internet/news agencies). Boris Navasardian [boris@ypc.am] , the exceptionally efficient head of the Yerevan Press Club, who has for many years striven to improve news media quality, expects that the whole process of launching a Press Council could be accomplished within 18 months to two years. The second stage (after the foundation of the Association) will be the creation of a Media Standards Jury which will issue analyses on every serious ethical case. Top

22nd March 2005

A code and (hopefully) a Press Council for Kosovo

On March 18, 2005, journalists of the Kosovar print media signed a code of ethics (posted on the IPC website), drawn up by experienced Kosovar journalists, with the support of the Association of Professional Journalists of Kosovo [AGPK], the OSCE and the IREX. The next step should be the involvement of more publishers, including those of the non-Albanian communities – and the third step the creation of a Press Council. [Source: Albany Associates (International). Top

11th March 2005

A "media observatory" for Gabon

The trend does not abate in West and Central Africa. On the first of March, APPEL, which gathers the publishers of about ten private newspapers, adopted a code of ethics and created OGAPEL (Observatoire gabonais d'autorégulation de la presse libre) to see that APPEL members respect the rules, to monitor the news media in the country - as well as to watch the electoral process. Top

26th January 2005

Fact-Checking: A New M*A*S

Among the sins of news media, omission is the worst but in second place comes inaccuracy. Omission can only be detected by close, long-term monitoring. Inaccuracy also often escapes detection because newspeople do not have the expertise, the tools, the time, the will to verify all the data they publicize. Hence a dangerous distortion of public opinion. A new M*A*S (media accountability system) is operating in the US: the Annenberg Political Fact Check (www.factcheck.org) , a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. In its own words: "We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding." Top

26th January 2005

Media Journalism

"Media Journalism", i.e. media reporting on media, includes media pages in dailies and weeklies, news stories about events in the media world, ombudsman's columns, adjudications by press councils, journalism reviews, investigative reports in alternative periodicals, journalists' blogs, etc. An international conference on that topic has just been held in Lugano (Switzerland), organized by the European Journalism Observatory (www.ejo.ch) at the university there. A recent decline of "media journalism" was noted in profit-oriented mainstream media. In the UK and Germany, for instance, quality dailies have terminated their "media section". But it was stressed that media journalism should not be dismissed as a "trend product". The press, print or electronic, fundamentally needs it : the watchdog has to be watched. Crucial to democratic self-regulation are the M*A*S, media accountability systems (80 of them listed on the IPC website). They cannot do without media journalism. Publicity is the only tool, weapon, that most of them can use in accomplishing their mission: quality control. Top

11th January 2005

The South African Press Complaints System

At a time when several countries are considering a variant of the Swedish "Press Council + Ombudsman" structure, it seems interesting to have a look at the very original South African model. Its constitution and rules of procedure have just been uploaded onto the IPC website (click on Information Center, then on Media Accountability Systems). With best wishes for 2005 from the gnomes that labor in the deep and obscure caves of the IPC website. Top

9th December 2004

The Hong Kong Project

The Hong Kong government is recommending a statutorily created press council that will be mostly government funded. Its members are to be appointed by non-government people so journalism members by newspapers and magazines and public members by NGOs and professional bodies. Journalists cannot outnumber public members. The council will not have the power to fine but it will have the power to order corrections and if a newspaper or magazine refuses to publish, then a court can order it to do so under penalty of contempt. The government says that "statutory press councils or similar bodies can be found in 14 jurisdictions, namely Bangladesh, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Nepal, Nigeria, Portugal, South Korea and Sri Lanka." Funding by government, appointment NOT by government, a majority of public members, the power to order corrections will appeal to PC watchers. Especially as a PC needs money to function properly and publishers are reluctant to provide it, except when scared as they were in GB in the late 1980s. The Finnish PC gets 50% of its budget from government and the German one 30%. But what the HK report says about statutory PCs is seriously inaccurate: - The so-called "PCs" of Bangladesh, Nepal, Egypt, Nigeria and (probably) Ghana, are State-control bodies. - Belgium: the Flemish-speaking part of the country has a regular, voluntary PC (50% of its budget coming from government). The French-speaking part has nothing. - Sri Lanka now has a regular voluntary PC (but used to have a statutory control body). - In South Korea, the regular PC is brain dead and the Press Arbitration Commission is a State media authority similar to the FCC in the US or Ofcom in GB . - There is no PC now in Portugal, but a State media authority. A PC was created by law in 1975 as a democratic reaction to the previous fascist regime. When it was killed off in 1990, the reason given was its statutory nature. - In Luxembourg, the PC was a statutory body with many functions (like giving out press ID cards). The new law makes it more of a complaints commission (with no public members however). - In Denmark, Lithuania, India and Indonesia, the PC was established by law but appears to be independent. In India, Parliament set up the PC on demand from journalists to overcome the publishers' opposition. So at present, only 4 or 5 genuine PCs are statutory out of 70-80 (depending on the definition) worldwide. An interesting case is that of Ireland. An agreement has been reached between publishers and government: the libel laws will be softened while a PC + ombudsman (Swedish style) will be set up by the newspaper industry. The PC will be "recognized" by law. A plaintiff will be able to choose between applying to the PC or to the courts but if he/she chooses litigation (instead of mitigation) he/she risk being considered as seeking riches or revenge, not reparation. Top

7th December 2004

Public Opinion of US Journalists

According to a just published Gallup survey of how US citizens rate "the honesty and ethical standards" of people working in 21 fields, TV reporters rank 15th in High/Very High opinions and newspaper reporters 16th, a long way behind teachers, doctors, policemen, lower even than auto mechanics and local and State office-holders. Very close after them come business executives and lawyers. This is bad news. For their independence, credibility, prestige, journalists have a crucial need for public protection against both political and economic pressure. They will not obtain that protection unless they are trusted and esteemed. Help can come from media ethics and accountability systems: these can help news people both serve citizens better and make it clear that they are serving them first – and advertisers, share-holders and news sources only second. Top

4th December 2004

A Rare Book on Eastern European Media

The purpose of media ethics and accountability systems is to improve service to the public. Mainly, to help journalists serve well. And obtain the support of the citizenry in their struggle for freedom, not just from Big Government but also from Big Business. Hence the relevance of a book on "Media Ownership and Its Impact on Media Independence and Pluralism", that covers 18 countries in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, from Albania to Slovenia – not including the Caucasian nations. The volume (495 pages - in English) reports on a 2003-2004 research project. It surveys the media in all those emerging democracies, providing a superb mass of information. It was edited by Brankica Petković and published as a book in 2004 by the Peace Institute in Ljubljana (Slovenia), with the help of the Open Society Institute, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Guardian Foundation. It is also accessible on the web at http://www.mirovni-institut.si/media_ownership Top

27th November 2004

News of the European Press Councils

Information gleaned at their 2004 conference in Nicosia (Oct. 7-8). Belgium. The Northern Flemish-speaking part of the country has had a tripartite PC (6 publishers, 6 journalists, 6 lay members) since 2002. It is not clear why French-speaking Belgium has so far been unable to follow suit. Bosnia & Herzegovina. Its PC (6 press members, 6 public), operational since 2001, chaired by a member of the PCC, has a funding and publicity problem which may have been solved by admitting 4 representatives of publishers. Cyprus. The Media Complaints Commission very successfully organized this year's AIPCE conference. This should help make the public better aware of its existence (only 22 complaints this year). Denmark. The statutory PC gets more and more complaints. They are screened by the chairman before the PC examines them, seeking unanimous decisions. Critics accuse the PC of not initiating cases – and of being too slow in adjudicating. Estonia. Only the publishers' PC was represented in Nicosia. Its 16 members (8 media owners, 4 journalists, 4 experts and lawyers) examine 100 complaints a year (mainly about privacy, photos and headlines). The original Estonian PC seems to have faded away. Finland. A reform of the self-regulation system is being considered. One option: adding a Commissioner for media ethics to work alongside the PC. In September, Finland hosted a conference Nordic PCs which discussed decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. Germany. The Presserat is concerned by restrictions to press freedom in Germany and by the issue of data protection. It has not opted to include lay members, but it has increased its membership from 20 to 28 so that complaints (682 received last year) can be examined faster by three separate chambers. Israel. The PC (40% publishers, 30% journalists, 30% public) is undergoing a crisis: it needs a new chair who should come from the public but publishers claim the seat, which public representatives firmly oppose. Luxembourg. The PC, established by the new press law, will go on distributing press ID cards, contributing to journalism training and research, defending press freedom – but will also adjudicate complaints. It will organize the 2005 AIPCE conference. Russia. The Grand Jury, set up in Moscow by the union of journalists faces the refusal of newspapers to publish its adjudications. Meanwhile, two regional PCs have started operating in Nijni-Novgorod and Rostov, which were set up after deliberate preparation under the auspices of the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (Oxford U.) Sweden. No news is good news. Switzerland. The journalists in the PC, who decided in 1999 to accept public members, still refuse to admit publishers. The PC has added a clause in its code insisting on the Fairness principle, the need to give people a chance to express their views on allegations against them. UK. The PCC has very successfully weathered a Parliamentary Inquiry. The number of public members has been increased from 9 (out of 16) to 10 (out of 17). Possible complaints about the PCC's handling of complaints will now be examined by a Charter Commissioner. Ukraine. In spite of government manipulation and intimidation of news media, causing very low credibility, a Journalistic Ethics Commission has been set up and has started receiving complaints. Only a sign, but an encouraging sign, of emerging democracy. [Source: The report of the Cyprus Media Complaints Commission] Top

27th November 2004

Tips for Researchers Visiting the IPC website

Whoever is studying press councils should think of visiting each PC's websites (URL in the Directory), some of which are extremely rich in information. If language is a problem, know that some PCs in non-Anglophone countries post English versions of their material. Whoever wishes to explore the record thesaurus of 400 codes should use the in-built Google seeker: it will immediately deliver references to all passages in the codes where some notion is mentioned, like accuracy, plagiarism or women. As usual with search engines, one needs to be imaginative in the use of keywords . Top

25th November 2004

Government Invited to Join Fiji Media Council

Fiji Information Minister Simione Kaitani said all media representatives on the council had endorsed the invitation and would allow the government, through the information ministry, to contribute directly to the council's objectives. Council chairman Daryl Tarte said the Government was invited to be a part of the council a couple of months ago. "The Government representative is one of 16 who sits on the board including seven industry reps, seven members of the public and one representative from the University of the South Pacific," he said. [Source: FijiTimes/PINA Nius] Top

30th October 2004

A Strange Conference in Tanzania

According to an October 30, 2004 press release, WAPC has finally held its conference of "world press councils" in Tanzania. After his failed coup, its former secretary-general has been replaced by a man from the Honolulu local council - and its "HQ" moved to Istanbul. Apparently, the conference was attended by 110 participants from 23 nations. However, only two national press councils are mentioned, that of the WAPC president (Turkey) and that of the host country (Tanzania). It is regrettable that the PC in an emerging democracy that aspires to join the European Union should endeavour to revive an association shun by all but a couple of democratic PCs. It is the more regrettable as over half of the world's true PCs are located in Europe: not one of them belongs to WAPC. Top

20th October 2004

Sixth Annual Conference of European Councils

After London, Bonn, Dublin, Malta and Stockholm, it was Nicosia that hosted guests from 19 different nations, on October 7-9. The only PCs not to be represented were those of Azerbaijan, Iceland, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Macedonia, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Much appreciated was the fact that, for the first time, it was made financially possible for many participants to come from the former soviet empire, whether their countries have a PC (like Estonia, Russia and Ukraine) or are preparing one (like Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria and Georgia). Now few nations on the Old Continent neither have nor prepare a council: only Belarus, Croatia, France, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Serbia and the Czech Republic. Thanks to the remarkable Cypriot management and hospitality, the conference was very interesting and enjoyable both during and between sessions. First, each PC summed up its activities in 2003-2004. Then Ian Mayes, of the British "Guardian" and president of the Organisation of News Ombudsmen, described the role of a "Readers' Editor". And PC specialist C-J. Bertrand, of the U of Paris, described what, in his view, PCs have failed to do and what they should be doing. Later, major European media issues were discussed; the new Russian regional councils were introduced, as was the recently renewed Luxembourg PC. The suggestion that the AIPCE might widen its embrace and turn into AIPCW, including other world PCs was dismissed. A surprising indifference at a time of globalisation, when the un-mourned WAPC is lying on its deathbed. Similarly, the suggestion was ignored that the AIPCE might endow itself with a minimum of infrastructure. And so, the IPC website will need assume both functions between conferences, serving as a link between European PCs and a link between world PCs. The next conference will be held in Luxembourg. Top

19th October 2004

African "media observatories" meet in Dakar

While anglophone nations in Africa set up "press councils" (as in Botswana, Kenya or Tanzania), nations in francophone West and Central Africa create "media observatories". In theory at least, these do not just process complaints but monitor the media. They started appearing in the late 1990's after media became more and more numerous and free. Western agencies and NGOs promoted the trend. On October 11-13, representatives from ten such observatories met in Dakar (Sénégal) under the auspices of one of the many agencies that promote "la francophonie". They presented their problems: lack of funds, unprofessional media, corrupt or (at least) indifferent journalists, unsupportive governments. In return, they heard about other media accountability systems (esp. ombudsmen) from experts from Canada, Belgium and France. Hopefully, they returned to Benin, Burundi, the Congo, the Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Tchad, Togo, with renewed energy in their struggle to improve media quality. For the time being, observatories are symptoms rather than agents of democratisation. Their survival and development are predicated on enlightened support from media organisations in the North. Top

19th October 2004

The World of Press Councils

As of October 2004, the total number of non-governmental self-regulating media institutions in the world is between 54 (active, genuine press councils), 65 if you include African "media observatories" - and 80, if you include similar accountability systems and PCs which may not yet or no longer be operational. The distribution by region is the following: - Africa : 16 * (20) - N. America: 9 (all regional) - S. America & Caribbean: 3 - Asia & Near East: 6 ** - Europe: 26 (30) - Pacific: 5 (8) * including "observatories" and the S. African ombudsman. ** including the PCs in Azerbaidjan and Israel. Top

18th October 2004

European Press Councils, New or Announced

Half the world independent press councils are located on the Old Continent and new ones keep appearing there. No hint of one, however, in such nations as France or Greece. Luxembourg now has a press council closer to the norm: statutory and with a strictly professional membership but with a mission no longer limited to dealing out ID cards to journalists: it will take complaints In addition to the Grand Jury in Moscow, Russia now has two regional councils, one in Rostov-on-the-Don and one in Nijni-Novgorod. Others are being considered. By the end of 2004, Bulgaria will have two genuine national councils, one for the printed press, the other for broadcasting – the media having not agreed on a common one. Lastly, concluding long negotiations with the government on the reform of harsh libel laws, Irish media will soon have a Press Ombudsman and Press Council on the Swedish model. They will be "recognised in law" but strictly independent. Top

30th September 2004

News from the German Press Council

The Deutscher Presserat Yearbook 2004 has just been published (order from willkommen@uvk.de). Together with "the press code of conduct, details about members, statistics and a chronicle of the year", it presents "the range of complaints and current practice of the Presserat with 104 cases". As the number of complaints has now stabilised at about 700 a year, the PC has decided to add 8 members to the previous 20 and split its complaints panel in two. The new members are publishers and journalists: still no non-press members in the Presserat, which makes it almost unique among present-day PCs. Preliminary results of a survey the PC conducted among 550 "editorial departments" indicate that "85% believe the work done by the Pressrat to date is good or even very good!" The next step should be to find what opinion the general public has of the council, if any. The Presserat's Newsletter will in the future be emailed to all interested parties: apply to info@presserat.de. Top

29th September 2004

Indonesian Press Council as Mediator

Dozens of members of journalist associations rallied on Monday outside Indonesia's Supreme Court. "We expect the Supreme Court to approve the Press Council as a mediation centre for disputes over news reports. We also expect them to issue regulations ordering lower courts to appoint the PC as a mediator when they hear such cases," the committee spokesman said. Another activist said the court's convictions of journalists in recent libel cases had made journalists across the country apprehensive, particularly those in the regions. Recently, Tempo magazine editor-in-cheif was given a one-year prison sentence after the court found the weekly guilty of defaming a businessman. The offer to mediate came as a response to the growing number of libel suits against the press, in which the courts usually use the Criminal Code to settle the cases. "The Press Law actually says that the Press Council shall mediate disputes involving the media. But, we need legal recognition" . The PC mediated a dispute between Jawa Pos daily and the former chief of the Indonesian Military Staff and Command College last year. The two agreed to make peace after Jawa Pos apologised for its unverified report. [Source: The Jakarta Post relayed by the Asia-Pacific Network] Top

28th September 2004

Vintage Codes from the US

Some 15 newspaper codes of ethics, and publishers' instructions, dating from the early 1920s, have just been added to the IPC record stock, bringing it up to over 375. These old codes are fascinating for what they say and for what they do not say. Much of their contents, however, is strikingly contemporary. That confirms what the observer perceives upon reading media codes from all over the planet: whatever the place, whatever the time, media ethics stays fundamentally the same, is only marginally affected by the cultural environment. Top

24th September 2004

Ethics-related Books and Links

A recent update has increased the material available on the IPC website. The site now contains over 360 titles of books devoted to media ethics and accountability systems, most of them recent, all of them in English. And a list of such books in French. And a short list of such books in Spanish. That bibliography needs to be completed by visitors in all sectors, but mainly in the German area. Please send suggestions to ipc.web@noos.fr The IPC site now also contains almost 200 links to websites concerned with ethics and accountability systems, including links to all the press councils that have a site. Visitors are begged to suggest extra links, especially to sites outside the US and in other languages than English. Top

10th September 2004

A Unique Collection of Media Ethics Codes

The number of codes presented in English on the IPC website (www.presscouncils.org) is now 360. From all over the planet. - 94 from North America (26%) - 88 from Europe (25%) - 45 from Africa (13%) - 33 from Asia (9%) - 32 from Oceania (9%) - 31 from Latin America & Caribbean (9%) - 12 from the Near East (3%) The rest being international. The Google search engine operating within the website makes it easy to analyse the texts of the codes and get a world view of some journalistic issue: you type "libel", for instance, and you obtain a list of all the references to libel in the 360 codes. Top

9th September 2004

An Update on World Press Councils

The total number of non-governmental self-regulating media institutions on the planet now stands between 50 (genuine active press councils) and over 69, if you include similar accountability systems and PCs whose activity cannot be ascertained. As regards independent national (as opposed to regional) councils, there are now 40. Only four of those do not include non-media members. Only three were set up by law (India, Denmark, Lithuania). At the regional level, ten independent PCs operate, 9 of them in North America. A striking fact is that two thirds of the national "mixed" PCs (i.e. PCs with lay members) were born after 1990. In that period, except for Africa, only one PC died, or rather fell into a coma but might recover (Austria). PCs appeared on every one of the five continents. In Africa, over a dozen PCs (anglophone area) or "media observatories" (francophone area) were set up but found it very difficult to stay alive because of lack of funds and governmental pressure. Top

5th September 2004

WAPC Fires its Secretary General

The President of WAPC (and of the Turkish PC) announces that five members; Turkey, Honolulu, Nepal, Kibris (northern Cyprus) and Tanzania approved and the Israel Press Council voted against the motion to remove Secretary General Gunasingam. India, Bangladesh and Egypt did not vote. The Ghana Press Council is no longer in existence; the Sri Lanka Press Complaints Commission is not a member of the WAPC – and the existence of the Nigeria Press could not be verified. In recent years, Mr Oktai Eksi says, Gunasingam "tried to impose unilateral decisions on all of us and at the same time refused to be accountable to wishes of our members... And he answered any criticisms with insulting language". Finally came the matter of the WAPC Conference to be hosted by Tanzania. He changed the conference dates without consultation with the host organization and demanded a personal fee ($ 3,000), accommodations, and airfare for himself and his wife from the Media Council of Tanzania. The WAPC president notes that the councils of Honolulu, Nepal, Kibris, Israel and Turkey will be represented at the conference in Tanzania. In other words, the WAPC will gather, at its annual conference, four genuine PCs out of a world total of over 55, Honolulu being a local council and Nepal a governmental council. Some world association!! Top

5th September 2004

"You fire me; I fire you"

For those who are not fortunate enough to be on the WAPC mailing lists and so might miss the merrymaking within that association – here is (verbatim) the latest salvo from Malaysia: " R. Gunasingam, SecretaryGeneral World Association Of Press - Media Council WAPC ANNOUNCEMENTS : i ) Mr.Oktay Eksi of Turkey automatically ceased to be President- WAPC. ii) WAPC Sectretariat is negotiating with Host to organise an International Seminar cum Workshop On Adjudicating Media Complaints With High Code Of Media Ethics For New Democracies To develop Independent Media Councils.iii) WAPC 2004 International Activity in Tanzania is cancelled.iv)WAPC Secretariat does not have a budget to manage a News Room to release immediate news.The materials sent are for information and if necessary to comment or for appropriate action for your own council" Top

4th September 2004

Media Council to Replace Press Commission in India?

With the growth of electronic and print media, the Indian government plans to set up a Media Commission to act as a monitoring body of code of ethics being followed in news ndustry, Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said. "The Media Commission will replace the Press Commission as numerous television channels have cropped up", Reddy said at a book release function in the capital city of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday [29 August]. He also sought suggestions from various journalist unions and academics to provide more teeth to the Commission as the existing Press Council has "limited say in implementing ethics code in publishing". The enormous growth rate in the print and electronic media should be properly utilised and caution comes as a password in dealing with delicate matters, he said. As reported from Hyderabad by the PTI news agency, New Delhi, 29 August 2004, relayed by BBC Monitoring. Top

31st August 2004

News from the WAPC

The President of the so-called World Association of Press Councils, Oktai Eksi of Turkey, has just circulated the following list: ---------------------------------- "PC which are definitely members of WAPC: 1- Indian Press Council 2- Turkish Press Council 3- Press Council of Israel 4- Kibris (TRNC) Press Council 5- Supreme Press Council of Egypt 6- Honolulu Community Media Council 7- Nepal Press Council 8- Media Council of Tanzania 9- Bangladesh Press Council 10-National Media Council of Ghana Other Press Councils whose ties with the WAPC are not clear: 1- Press Council of Nigeria 2- British Columbia Press Council (Canada) 3- Fiji Media Council 4- Manitoba Press Council (Canada) 5- National Press Council of the Republic of China (Taiwan) 6- Sri Lanka Press Complaints Commission 7-Papua New Guinea Press Council" ----------------------------------- As far as can be ascertained, n° 4, 5, 7 9 of the first list are State-controlled bodies. Of the second list, n°1 is not functioning while n°2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 are not members of WAPC. That leaves the WAPC with half a dozen true PCs as members. The time seems to have come for the association to self-terminate – or else to "change its spots" by excluding all governmental institutions. Top

31st August 2004

WAPC Imploding ?

On August 31, 2004, R.Gunasingam, Secretary General of WAPC, emailed around a large file starting with: --------------------------------------" Dear WAPC Members & Associates, I refer to my e-mail dated 17th Aug.2004 & 24 Aug.2004 (copies are attached) regarding Mr.Oktay Eksi’s letter involving the Tanzanian Conference and the conspiracy that he is involved with Mr.Chris Conybear of USA to politicise WAPC activity and transfer WAPC Secretariat to Turkey . The current action by Mr.Oktay Eksi is illegal and Unconstitutional . Press Council Of Turkey & Honolulu Media Council paid subscription till year 2001. Both Councils are members not in benefit and non active. Therefore Mr.Oktay Eksi automatically ceased to be President- WAPC. Please ignore his letters misleading WAPC Members." -------------------------------------- It seems that WAPC is disintegrating, at which news all champions of the (independent) press council concept can only rejoice. Top

3rd August 2004

No News is Good News?

Over 60 requests for news were recently sent to all the world press councils that have an email address. They generated only 12 replies, none came from the largest industrialised democracies, except for Honolulu, Minnesota and Québec. And all the replies were negative: nothing was happening that deserved reporting. That could mean that the Press Council concept is slowly fading away from the news media landscape. On the other hand, it might reflect the fact that PCs are so busy that they cannot afford time for any PR. Or again, it may mean that their activities have become so un-exceptional, so routine that they are no longer considered as news. Top

31st May 2004

A Media Council in Tonga

Press councils have a way of appearing discreetly and having to be discovered. In August 2003, a Media Council was set up by six Tonga news organisations in reaction to restrictive moves by the government against the press. That 170 island Polynesian archipelago of 105 000 inhabitants, East of Fiji, South of Samoa, West of Tahiti - is a constitutional monarchy of 718 square kilometres. The Council will defend media freedom, train news professionals and adjudicate complaints. Top

19th May 2004

One more African "Media Observatory" - in Burundi

An "Observatoire de la presse au Burundi" (OPB) is being set up by the Burundi Association of Journalists (ABJ)with the twin mission of defending press freedom and enforcing the code of ethics. Its statutes were adopted on April 7. It will consist of 15 members: 6 ABJ journalists, 2 publishers, 2 broadcasters, 2 distributers and 2 lay members. Most countries in West and Central Africa now have an "observatoire" - while countries in East and Southern Africa seem to prefer the "press council" concept. Top

19th May 2004

A Press Council for Spain

The "Federacion de Asociaciones de la Prensa de Espana" (FAPE) has decided to create a "Consejo Deontologico", i.e. a press council, to promote respect for the FAPE code of 1993 (q.v.). The new PC will be made up of nine members independent of the media industry: two journalists, three university professors, two magistrates and two representatives of NGOs. The Spanish PC will be the first national independent PC in Latin Europe. Spain already had a PC, but a regional one, in Catalunya. Portugal had a PC from 1975 to 1990 but it had been set up by law. [Source: Juan Varela in "Periodistas 21"] Top

17th May 2004

PCC Code of Conduct Made Stricter

The British Press Complaints Commission has just published a revised, "shorter and crisper", version of its code, which will take effect on June 1. It widens its range to cover on-line publications, tightens the rules concerning payment to criminals for material and it stresses the responsibility of editors in implementing the rules. The full text has been uploaded among the 315 codes posted on the IPC website (www.presscouncils.org) Top

27th April 2004

Botswana too is developing a press council

In 2003, thirty-two media institutions of Bostwana joined together to form a Board of Trustees for an independent PC. They are in the process of selecting a Complaints Commission and an Appeals Committee, both made up of media and non-media members, that will deal with complaints from the public. After establishing a code of ethics, its next project is "to come up with a counter draft for the Mass Media Communications Bill that was introduced by the Government some years back and was rejected by the media." Top

20th April 2004

A Press Council in Zambia

The nine-member board of MECOZ, the Media Council of Zambia, a new non-statutory press council, was appointed in February 2004. "Observatoires" in West and Central Africa, "Media Councils" in East and South Africa: the trend towards media accountability on the continent should be great news, especially considering obstacles like insufficient funding and an imperfect freedom of the press. Yet it is usually ignored in the West. Top

20th April 2004

Heard of that MAS? Involving readers in news decisions

Every week for 10 years, the Sacramento Bee has asked a different local resident to give his/her opinion at page One news conferences: "They want to hear from the outside". The Californian daily is not alone in using that listening device: the Detroit Free Press and Portland (Maine) Press Herald use it too. It is worth noting that the Bee also employs an ombudsman. [Source: American JR, April-May 2004] Top

19th April 2004

New Press Council In West Africa

Actually the OGUIDEM has been functioning in Guinea since September 2001. It consists of 13 members: publishers of State (4) and private (5) publications, by the Association of journalists (2), the Bar Association (1) and one woman journalist. Its purpose is to incite the press to respect the code of ethics both by processing complaints and making statements of its own initiative. Such "observatoires" have become very common in francophone West Africa and are now spreading to Central Africa. Top

13th April 2004

Cook Islands PM announces creation of Media Council

AVARUA, Rarotonga (RA News Online/Pacific Media Watch): Prime Minister Robert Woonton says he has asked Sir John Jeffries, chairman of New Zealand's Press Council, to help establish a similar council in the Cook Islands. Dr Woonton says he made the request as a result of serious concerns about media standards in his country. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has announced plans to set up an interim broadcasting board to make media companies meet the provisions of the Broadcasting Act. However, he says the board is only a temporary measure until a media council can be established: Top

13th April 2004

A Press Council is NOT a Government Commission

Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has voiced approval of a labor federation's proposal to create a government commission that would monitor the media's adherence to ethical standards, the newspapers O Globo and O Estado de S. Paulo reported. His comments came at a commemoration of National Journalists Day, on April 7. In December 2002, the National Federation of Journalists (Fenaj) proposed that the government create a Federal Journalism Council. According to Fenaj, the proposed council would monitor the media's work and determine whether it complies with the professional Code of Ethics. The Labor Ministry is currently analysing the proposal, Estado de S. Paulo reported. [Source: AMJ-WAN] Top

8th April 2004

European Press Councils' Conference 2004

The Cyprus Press Council will host the 6th annual conference of AIPCE, the Alliance of the Independent Press Councils of Europe. In Nicosia on October 7 and 8, 2004. Observers from PCs in other parts of the world will be welcome. Other experts in media self-regulation may apply to Petros Petrides (epidideo@cytanet.com.cy). Previous conferences were held in London, Bonn, Dublin, Malta and Stockholm. The next will take place in Luxembourg. Top

8th April 2004

A Press Council in Georgia ?

On March 2, 2004 representatives of the Publishers' Association and of the Association of Regional Media agreed to set up a media council. Its nine founder members come from the Publishers' Association, the Broadcasters' Association, the Association of Regional Media, the GIPA (Georgian Institute for Public Administration), the Liberty Institute (an NGO), the Young Lawyers' Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the Caucasus Institute for Peace and Development. And, hopefully, from the Association of Editors (to be created) and from the (also to be created) profession-wide association of journalists. The whole body is called the Media Council, made up of a Curatorium/ Nominations Committee (9 founder members) which appoints the Panel/Appeal Tribunal. The latter consists of five persons who appoint a sixth, Executive Director or Media Ombudsman. Complaints will be examined by the Tribunal whenever the dispute is not resolved by the Media Ombudsman through mediation. The PC had been in the works for a long time, under the auspices of the Council of Europe. It is difficult to be very optimistic about it, mainly because of the absence of editors and journalists. As usual, they fear for their freedom and apprehend to be treated as scapegoats. Top

8th April 2004

One more media Observatory – in the Congo (ex-Zaïre)

Meeting in Kinshasa, from March 1 to 5, two hundred journalists remodelled the National Union of the Congo Press (UNPC) and set up an "Observatoire des médias congolais" . It is meant to monitor the print and electronic media and report violations of ethics to the UNPC - whose Disciplinary Commission can decide to punish. Ultimate retribution will be withdrawal of the professional ID card now needed to practice journalism. More and more countries in West and Central Africa have, or are preparing (as in Burundi), such observatories, which are very similar in purpose to press councils. They reflect the growing professionalism of journalists. But their action is hindered by both lack of funds and the absence of a tradition of democracy. Top

29th February 2004

A World Record, to be Improved

The date being exceptional (February 29), I cannot let the day slip by in silence. The IPC website now contains a collection of codes of media ethics that is unique: I have just uploaded code n° 300, that of the daily El Mundo, translated from Spanish. Such a thesaurus will help all those who are developing new codes for their newspaper or group or region or nation; and those who are studying media ethics, the wealth it holds, what it still misses. One conclusion I myself draw, after reading so many codes, is that all (democratic) codes agree on basics, whatever the region they come from – and also that most have something special to contribute. So I beg you to send me more codes (in their English version), thus to enrich the IPC ethical stock - which is free for everyone to use in order to try and improve news media. CJB Top

25th February 2004

Standing Up For Press Freedom

At its eleventh regular meeting held on 20th February 2004 the Press Council discussed the death threats that have been made to the editors of "Nezavisne Novine" and "Slobodna Bosna". The Press Council thinks that the threats to kill Mr Dra-gan Jerinic, Editor in Chief of "Nezavisne Novine", and Mr Senad Avdic, Editor in Chief of "Slobodna Bosna", are serious incidents and constitute violations of both human rights and freedom of thought and speech. The Press Council believes that such threats seriously endan-ger the freedom of the press and the work of journalists. The threats hinder the work of newspapers and magazines and therefore are an attack on democratic institutions and every citizen in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Press Council wishes to take this opportunity to appeal to all the relevant organisations and institutions, both domestic and international, to prevent such negative things in our society in whatever way they can. The print media in BiH has a right to publish comments and opinions about all important issues that are in public interest – indeed, Article 6 of the Press Code enshrines the right of the media "to freely express their own views". The Press Council will always try to protect this right – provided, of course, that published material is accurate. [Source: Press Council of BiH] Top

22nd February 2004

Governments Never Learn

In an appeal to the Indonesian Supreme Court, on February 19th, the independent (and poorly financed) Press Council asked that in cases involving the press, all judges abide by the 1999 Press Law – and not the very severe Criminal Code, which dates back to the colonial era. The next day, at a meeting with new members of the PC, the Minister of Communications and Information firmly disapproved, saying that the press law was too lenient in cases of libel or public insults, that it "did not fulfil people's sense of justice"; that the media community should ask for a revision of it! [Source: Pacific Media Watch - http://www.pmw.c2o.org] Top

12th February 2004

Interesting statistics

A quote from an adjudication dated February 12th by the British Press Complaints Commission: "The PCC's latest figures show that while most complainants have their complaints dealt with within an average of 32 days, complaints made through solicitors take 71 days on average." Top

4th February 2004

A New Role for Press Councils?

The Azerbaijani Interior Ministry and the independent Press Council have drafted measures to minimise the likelihood that journalists covering political demonstrations will be targeted by police in the event that a demonstration turns violent. Moreover, 500 special jackets will be manufactured and distributed to editorial offices. It is unclear how the jackets will help protect journalists. Special access to the site of demonstrations will be provided for journalists and a group comprising Interior Ministry and Press Council representatives will monitor demonstrations, taking immediate action if journalists are endangered. In the event of police violence against journalists, the monitoring group will insist on an investigation. [Source: http://www.rferl.org/newsline/fulltext.asp - RFE/RL/Turan] Top

15th January 2004

More complaints, more accountability for the British Press Complaints Commission.

The number of complaints received by British Press Complaints Commission (PCC) in 2003 was 3,649 - 39% more than in 2002. For Sir Christopher Meyer, Chairman of the PCC, the increase reflects "the continuing high-profile of the Commission, the proactive work that we do in educating people about how to use the Code, the lengths to which we have gone to make complaining easy and the increasing willingness of members of the public to complain ". As part of his plans for the 'permanent evolution' of the Commission, Sir Christopher announced last year that a new panel would be appointed to scrutinise the Commission's handling of complaints. The members having been appointed, he noted that "the creation of the Charter Compliance Panel will add another layer of accountability to our work and reassure complainants that what we do is carried out under a high degree of scrutiny." The panel will have the power to review any aspect of the Commission's handling of complaints and make recommendations for improvements. Also appointed was the first independent Charter Commissioner. Any complainant who is dissatisfied with the manner in which his/her complaint was handled can write to him. He will investigate the matter and report any recommendations to the Director and the Commission. Top

27th December 2003

Age One and Already a Record-Holder

The IPC website is now a little over a year old. Besides basic information on every press council on the planet, it now holds over 280 codes of media ethics, a world record. Its "Information Centre" devoted to M*A*S (media accountability systems) contains an updated bibliography (with 100 new titles) and a "links" section that has doubled in length. Of course, you are interested in media ethics - or you would not be reading this. One of my fondest wishes for 2004 is that you will further enrich (or simply correct) the various sections of the website. And that you will use it to keep in touch with people everywhere that share your concern for quality news media. The IPC website needs input from everyone of you so as to become what it aims to be: both a unique data bank devoted to media accountability and a forum where media issues are debated. Thus, hopefully, it will contribute to the development of a world network of cooperating M*A*S. Top

18th December 2003

2004 said to be only 13 days away

Great news, eh? Well, not really. Just a way for the thoughtful and friendly IPC staff to express its heart-felt wishes for a wonderful new year, with news media everywhere escaping from political and financial clutches - and finding new ways to serve the public better. Top

20th November 2003

Correction

In the news item dated November 14th, it was said that the Sri Lanka Press Complaints Commission kept out the unions of journalists. That was inaccurate. "The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association and all other journalists unions in Sri Lanka are supporting the PCCSL", writes the director of the press council. Of its 11 members, 5 are media members among them 4 "working journalists". Top

14th November 2003

A New Press Council for Sri Lanka, an independent one

The "Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka" (PCCSL), a voluntary self-regulatory mechanism for the print media has been set up by the media themselves as a private non-profit making organization. Its sub-scribers are the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka, The Editors’ Guild and the Free Media Movement. The PCCSL has taken over the role of the Government controlled Press Council, which was in existence in Sri Lanka over the last three decades. The Press Complaints Commission is geared to serve members of the public who have complaints against material published in the Sri Lankan Press. The complaints should relate to breach of the Code of Practice drafted by the Editors’ Guild and adopted by the Commission. The complaints are resolved by conciliation, mediation or adjudication. The Dispute Resolution Council of the PCCSL is an autonomous body, comprising eleven distinguished councillors, headed by a former Secretary General of Parliament and Sri Lanka’s first Ombudsman. The British PCC seems to have influenced the shaping of the PCCSL: contrary to most recent PCs, the PCCSL covers only the print media, limits itself to handling complaints; and keeps out unions of journalists. [Source: the PCCSL] Top

12th October 2003

Independent press regulation for Ireland

Rejecting the proposal by the Government to set up a statutory "press council", the NNI (National Newspapers of Ireland) is prepared to establish an independent Press Ombudsman and Press Council to regulate press standards and deal with complaints from citizens – on the successful Swedish model. The statutory "press council" that was proposed by the Legal Advisory Group, would consist entirely of Government appointees; would be responsible for drawing up a Code of Standards; would make all decisions on alleged breaches of that Code; and would be able to invoke the powers of the Circuit Court to enforce those decisions. This is undemocratic and unacceptable, particularly as our newspapers are already subject to highly restrictive laws. The NNI believes that statutory press regulation is not in the public interest as it would interfere with editorial independence, freedom of expression and the role of the press in a democracy. Furthermore, it would put Ireland out of line with the rest of Europe. Within the proposed NNI system, newspaper editors would sign up to a Code of Standards. The Press Ombudsman and Press Council would then ensure that newspapers complied with that Code. They would also investigate alleged breaches of the Code. The system would guarantee a quick and independent decision, at no cost to the complainant. The NNI is urgently seeking the agreement of other press organisations, including the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). [Source: NNI media release, 9/10/03 (rkelly@cullencommunications.ie)] Top

12th October 2003

Are press councils useless?

Press councils as most of them are now, limiting themselves to processing complaints. Are they not simply saving news outlets the cost of employing an ombudsman? Have they improved media accountability? Have they incited media to listen to the public more? Have they contributed to improving the news media as essential public services? If you believe they have, please join into a discussion of that topic. Claude-Jean Bertrand Top

26th September 2003

Statement by the Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe (AIPCE)

The AIPCE, meeting in Stockholm, wish to respond to proposals by the Irish Government's Legal Advisory Group on Defamation (LAGD) in relation to the establishment of a statutory press council in Ireland. At present, Ireland, whose news media operate under the most outdated libel laws in the European Union, is one of the very few countries there without a press council. For more than 10 years, the National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) has been calling for a reform of the libel laws. In 2001 and in 2002, NNI offered to set up and fund a system of independent press regulation, with Press Council and press ombudsman, in return for changes to Ireland's libel laws. We note that LAGD recommended that libel law reform should be introduced only if the newspaper industry would accept the establishment of a Government-appointed "press council" which would be in charge of journalistic standards, newspaper conduct and press complaints. This proposed system would not only go against the trend in Europe, and much of the world - it would also diminish press freedom and undermine the independence of Irish newspapers. We therefore call on the Irish Government to work with the NNI towards the establishment of a press council free of State control and involving the public – in the best interests of the Irish people. [11 September 2003] Top

24th September 2003

Press council in the making in Kosovo

Journalists from throughout Kosovo have agreed during a two-day media rights conference to establish a self-regulatory body and to draw up a code of conduct for the print media. The conference (September 16-17) in Pristina, was organized by the OSCE Mission. During the meeting, representatives from both Albanian and Serbian language media agreed to improve their co-operation, and to help each other in increasing freedom of movement for journalists throughout Kosovo. The participants, who included the heads of all three Kosovo journalist associations, agreed to work on the establishment of a press council, which will act as a self-regulatory body for the media. The first meeting of a working group is scheduled for October. [Source: OSCE Pristina] Top

22nd September 2003

A Media Council in Kyrgyzstan?

Compare the two following news items. The first, from agency AKIpress, on August 25, 2003, announced that a round table titled "Mass media and a civil society" was to discuss the project of a Media Council of Kyrgyzstan. The council was to become "the public voluntary corporate institute of a civil society formed as self-regulation of activity of workers of mass media", consisting of "authoritative journalists, outstanding public figures, figures of the literature, art and a science". The council was to consider the disputed ethical situations arising in the journalistic community. The affairs considered by Media Council, could be: - "Infringements of legitimate rights of journalists and citizens on getting socially significant information; - An encroachment on honour, dignity and business reputation; - Abusing freedom of mass media; - Conflicts of edition of mass media with the enforcement authorities, institutions of local government concerning registration and accreditation of media outlets, a legal status of founders of mass media etc." It sounds all right, but does not fit in very well with the situation of press freedom in the country. Then, on Sep 16, unsurprisingly, came the announcement from the capital Bishkek that a few days earlier a conference was held on the theme "Mutual activity of mass media and civil society in the 2200th year of Kyrgyz statehood" during which participants launched a new Media Council. That conference was organized by the press service of the president of Kyrgyzstan. End of mirage. Top

19th September 2003

RSF Barred from participating in the World Summit on the Information Society

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the international organisation fighting for journalists' rights all over the world, has been banned from the World Summit on the Information Society next December in Geneva. This follows the organisation's suspension for a year from the UN Commission on Human Rights. At the request of regimes that are the worst press freedom violators, RSF was suspended from the UN Commission on Human Rights after it quite rightly protested the choice of a Libyan representative to be the commission's chairperson. The coming WSIS is a key event for freedom of expression. Several human rights organisations have already voiced fears about the draft declaration that could be adopted by UN member states in December. Dictatorships and other repressive regimes intend to use this summit to subject information on the Internet to measures of control and censorship. The UN human rights farce continues. Top

19th September 2003

European Press Councils Get Together

Stockholm brought out the sun for the 5th annual conference of the AIPCE at the Hilton Hotel. But not the publicity. This was a very quiet meeting that gathered representatives of 12 out of the 22 genuine PCs of Europe. Almost a third of some 70 on the planet, including the media observatories in Africa. Each of the participants reported on the activities of his own council since the 2002 conference in Malta. They studied and debated cases that some of them had adjudicated, comparing approaches. The director of the German PC read a thoughtful paper on the issue of "data protection and journalism". An offbeat Japanese visitor lengthily informed the conference that he had visited several PCs over the past year!! The next meeting will be held in Cyprus. Hopefully, an effort will be made, over the next twelve months, to fund the presence of most independent European PCs, especially those from the former soviet empire. Interestingly, it was decided in Stockholm that a major topic at the 2004 conference would be the financing of PCs. Top

9th September 2003

A Panorama of World Press Councils

An up-to-date 7-page document presenting tables of vital statistics relative to 70 press councils has just been posted on the IPC website (www.presscouncils.org - click on Information Center, then Media Accountability Systems, then "Panorama"). About 50 of those councils are genuine "press councils" (not just ethics commissions within an association of journalists). About 40 of those include media management, news people and public. Three quarters cover a whole nation, the rest are regional, as in Canada. Some 20 other councils, mainly in the less developed parts of the planet, are also listed but it has proved impossible to determine, with any degree of certainty, whether they were actually functioning and, if they were, whether they operated independently from government. A final list of 12 press councils that died shows how hardy those creatures can be: in 8 of the countries involved, a new council was later successfully set up. Top

12th August 2003

Media Council of Tanzania to organize the 2004 WAPC conference

The MCT is one of the very few non-governmental press councils in Africa, if not the only one (information from the region's councils is hard to obtain). As mentioned here before, the MCT is to receive the "Free Media Pioneer Award" from the International Press Institute (Vienna), in September 2003. All the more regrettable is its decision to organize the May 3-6, 2004 meeting of the WAPC in Dar es Salaam. The so-called "World Association of Press Councils" includes few, if any, councils from Western-style democracies and counts among its members some "press councils" that are nothing but governmental press control units. Top

31st July 2003

An ombudsman at the New York Times

When a US foundation set up the National News Council (1973-1983), the New York Times refused to cooperate. That arrogant attitude was considered partly responsible for the demise of the press council. Now, after a major scandal (plagiarism and inventions by a reporter over several months), the most prestigious US daily has followed the recommendations of a 28 member internal committee and will appoint a "public editor" so as to be "conspicuously accountable to readers and public". Top

31st July 2003

Record number of complaints to the PCC

The British Press Complaints Commission has announced a record number of complaints received at this stage of the year. By the end of July, the PCC had dealt with over 2,300 complaints - higher than the number received in the whole of the year 2000, and 50% up on this time last year. The Commission has also published the results of its regular satisfaction survey: it shows that 62% of all complainants in the first half of the year thought their complaint had been handled satisfactorily or very satisfactorily. This is particularly encouraging given that in 66% of cases the PCC either found no breach of the Code or no grounds to pursue an investigation following a suitable remedial offer by the editor concerned. PCC Director Guy Black said: "The record number of complaints is a welcome sign that our vigorous programme of proactive public information, endorsed in the recent Select Committee report, is paying big dividends - and shows up as false the suggestion that people are bypassing the PCC for other forms of redress. And the customer satisfaction survey testifies to the fact that ordinary people get very good value from us when they do complain. Our service is fast, free and fair." [PCC press release] Top

16th June 2003

Press Council recognized as a weapon for press freedom

It seems that the great NGOs that ceaselessly campaign for press freedom are realizing that "media accountability systems", such as press councils, can be a very positive force. What follows is from IFEX Communique Vol 12 N° 23 | 10 June 2003. The International Press Institute (IPI) has awarded its 2003 Free Media Pioneer prize to the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) in recognition of its efforts to promote media self-regulation and press freedom. The MCT "has been relentless in calling for the repeal of repressive media laws and working toward the establishment of further independent media councils in the region," said IPI in announcing the award. One of the few independent media councils in Africa, the MCT was founded in 1995 by media owners, editors and journalists who realised the importance of developing an independent code of journalism practices for local media. Sponsored by IPI and Freedom Forum, the Free Media Pioneer Award is given each year to an organisation that has "fought against great odds to ensure free and more independent media in their country." Top

16th June 2003

A Consumer Protection Association as M*A*S

The US "Consumers' Union" differs from such associations in many countries, which scrutinize bank services and TV sets, but tend to ignore media, for unknown reasons. The Union has denounced the Federal Communications Commission project to further deregulate media ownership. Now that the FCC has produced a decision agreeable to the Big Media lobbies, it has "established an electronic avenue for the public to influence next week's Senate Commerce Committee vote on media ownership legislation. Senate bill S. 1046 would revert the new 45% national broadcast ownership cap to its previous 35% level. The Committee will also consider an amendment proposed by Senator Byron Dorgan that would restore newspaper cross-ownership protections" [Source: Consumers Union – http://capwiz.com/consumersunion] Top

2nd April 2003

An Original M*A*S in Brazil

ANDI (Agencia de noticias dos direitos da infancia) is a Brazilian NGO created in 1992 by a journalist. It monitors how newspapers and other media deal with children and teen-agers. Then it gets experts to analyse the results, organises debates with journalists – and regularly publishes the results. Its impact is clear: after seeing an ANDI survey, a sensationalist reporter specializing in crime by or against young people, apologized and altered his programme. This kind of M*A*S could be applied to women (battered wives, prostitutes) and various under-privileged minorities that are ignored or badly-treated by the media. To know more, see its website www.andi.org.br. Its email address is andi@andi.org.br. Its snail mail address is: ANDI, SDS, Ed. Boulevard Center, Bloco A, Sala 101 - Brasilia, DF, Brasil 70391-900. Top

20th February 2003

The public knows about the PCC (UK) and likes it

Recent studies highlight the success of the PCC in two key areas: ordinary people know about it and those who complain are satisfied with how it deals with their complaints. A poll among more than 2,000 adults has shown that 80% had heard of the PCC. Questioned about the most important characteristics of such an organisation, 52% identified “quick resolution to complaints”, with 40% adding that it should be free. Asked specifically who should fund the PCC, the overwhelming majority (64%) said the press itself. The PCC surveyed all those whose complaints had been investigated. The survey showed that:  94% found the PCC’s printed information “very clear” or “clear”;  85% found the PCC’s staff “very helpful” or “helpful”;  61% thought their complaint was dealt with “very thoroughly” or “thoroughly”;  73% believed the time it took to deal with their complaint was “about right”; and  59% said their complaint had been handled “very satisfactorily” or “satisfactorily”. The results are especially interesting as about 70% of those who returned a survey form were individuals whose complaints had been judged to involve no breach of the Code, or that no further action was necessary. The result of the survey among those whose complaints had been resolved were even higher – at 98%, 99%, 90%, 87% and 92% respectively. Top

20th January 2003

New press council, in the Caucasus

The founding congress of the Press Council of Azerbaijan will be held on March 01, 2003. The state is not involved. In 2001, the government wanted to launch a press council but Azeri journalists, in collaboration with the international community, were able to overcome this threat. Now only journalists are involved in the process. For more information, contact Mr. Azer H.Hasret (http://azerhasret.4t.com) Council Member, IFEX (http://www.ifex.org) Secretary General, Azerbaijan Journalists Confederation (AJK) Chairman, IPI Azerbaijan National Committee Address: 33 Khagani St., Baku 370000 AZERBAIJAN Phone: (994 50) 335 2795 Fax: (994 12) 987818 hasret@cascfen.org and hasret@juhiaz.org http://www.cascfen.org and http://www.juhiaz.org Top

15th January 2003

ROMANIA: NEW FREE EXPRESSION GROUP LAUNCHED

Twenty six media organisations and journalist associations in Romania have formed a common front to promote and protect free expression, reports the Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ). The Convention of the Media Or-ganisations in Romania (COM-ROM) will be involved in four main activities: intervening in free-expression issues; adopting and enforcing a journalists' code of ethics; monitoring interna-tional journalism standards; and monitoring the media environ-ment. The formation of the new group arose out of a meeting in Sinaia on 20-21 December 2002, which was organised by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, CIJ, Media Monitoring Agency and the Association for the Protection and Promotion of Freedom of Expression. Top

2nd January 2003

A super-M*A*S

The publisher-editor of the "Anniston Star", an Alabama (USA) newspaper,has decided to give its assets to a new institute for journalism wherein the newspaper will function as a "teaching hospital" for the journalism school of the University of Alabama. Not since the development of the Poynter Institute (by the owners of the St Petersburg Times) has anything like this been created. It seems that the value of Brandt Ayers assets in the paper are about $50 million. Some M*A*S! Top

28th December 2002

Japan's guidelines on "media scrum"

The Editorial Affairs Committee of the NSK, the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association is made up of the managing editors and news editors of 58 NSK member newspapers and news agencies. On December 6, 2002, it issued guidelines on self-restraint regarding collective aggressive newsgathering behaviour. "Media scrum" is a term used to describe the actions of media people swarming around the involved parties or other persons concerned with major accidents or incidents in the aim of obtaining comments or information. Such actions can hamper the normal social life or infringe upon the privacy of the persons concerned and have drawn public criticism. In its statement, NSK says that voluntary efforts on the part of media organisations to rectify this problem would help preserve the freedom of speech and uphold the people's right to know. The NSK statement says it will call on broadcasters and magazine publishers to act in concert with newspapers on the issue. The statement cites a set of rules that should be respected by all media people. They include: 1) Not forcibly boxing-in reluctant persons to try to get their comments; 2) Respecting the feelings of bereaved kin and relatives in covering wakes, funeral services or the movement of remains; and 3) Trying to keep quiet while engaging in newsgathering activities in residential areas, schools, hospitals and other places. The National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan on Dec. 20 came out with a set of measures to protect against problems resulting from aggressive newsgathering activities and to rectify the problems of so-called media scrums, pledging to act in concert with NSK on the issue. Top

2nd December 2002

About the so-called World Association of Press Councils (WAPC)

I recently complained to the representative of a true PC that she hurt the image of PCs by attending a recent WAPC meeting in Turkey-Kibris (Northern Cyprus). Hearing about it, the chair of the Turkish PC and President of WAPC, opted to publicize my accusations and called them lies. I had mentioned "going on a five-star junket fully paid by the Turkish government to attend a conference of mainly State press control bodies". Admittedly, that was somewhat inaccurate. I wish to make corrections. 1. It was not fully paid by the Turkish government: travel expenses and accommodation in Cyprus were paid by the Kibris government, celebrating its 19th (!!) anniversary. Keep in mind, however, that Northern Cyprus, an economic basket-case, is kept afloat by Turkey. Also, during their stay in Istanbul, the participants got free accommodation at a 5-star hotel, "gladly" offered by the manager: just one of life's pleasant surprises. 2. Obviously, there cannot be a genuine PC in a country that does not enjoy full press freedom. Now, one participant did belong to a democratic PC. But, if you look at the now-shrunk WAPC list of PCs, you notice that - 3 belong to countries that Freedom House (2002) ranks as "not free" and - 6 to countries ranked as "partly free". That leaves 4 in countries ranked as free, but I have a letter from the Manitoba PC dated 11/3/02 that says "The Manitoba PC is not a member of the WAPC and has actually never been". And, by experience, my feeling is that the Taiwan PC is never involved in any international activities. And so we are down to 2 (Ghana and Israel) out of 11. However, I admit that there a difference between a PC that is not truly independent and a State press control body. And I apologize for that exaggeration. C-J. Bertrand Top

21st November 2002

AIPCE Conference in Malta on October 18-19, 2002

After meeting in London (1999), Bonn (2000) and Dublin (2001), representatives of the Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe held its 4th annual meeting in Malta. Observers from France, Ireland, Israel, Japan and Serbia joined them. The sun also was a welcome guest. Reports were given on the activities of ten of the European PCs. Issues debated, among them the private lives of public figures, the fight against restriction of press freedom, the possible European regulation of financial journalism. The participants were greeted by the President of Malta in his palace and were later treated to a glorious boat tour of the harbour around Valetta. The next meetings of AIPCE are scheduled to take place in Sweden and Cyprus. Top

An Agenda for Change in Journalism

Mediamorphosis for the IPC website

One Third More Media Accountability Systems

2005 Conference of European Press Councils

Russia: Press Complaints Collegium established

World Survey of M*A*S

A Press Council in Georgia (Caucasus)

Press Councils and M*A*S in the Pacific

Media Ethics Monitoring in Burundi

IPC Bibliography Updated

A Competition to Launch New Press Councils

New African Media Council – in Cameroon

The Dutch Press Council and the AIPCE

Armenia: Press Council on the Way

A code and (hopefully) a Press Council for Kosovo

A "media observatory" for Gabon

Fact-Checking: A New M*A*S

Media Journalism

The South African Press Complaints System

The Hong Kong Project

Public Opinion of US Journalists

A Rare Book on Eastern European Media

News of the European Press Councils

Tips for Researchers Visiting the IPC website

Government Invited to Join Fiji Media Council

A Strange Conference in Tanzania

Sixth Annual Conference of European Councils

African "media observatories" meet in Dakar

The World of Press Councils

European Press Councils, New or Announced

News from the German Press Council

Indonesian Press Council as Mediator

Vintage Codes from the US

Ethics-related Books and Links

A Unique Collection of Media Ethics Codes

An Update on World Press Councils

WAPC Fires its Secretary General

"You fire me; I fire you"

Media Council to Replace Press Commission in India?

News from the WAPC

WAPC Imploding ?

No News is Good News?

A Media Council in Tonga

One more African "Media Observatory" - in Burundi

A Press Council for Spain

PCC Code of Conduct Made Stricter

Botswana too is developing a press council

A Press Council in Zambia

Heard of that MAS? Involving readers in news decisions

New Press Council In West Africa

Cook Islands PM announces creation of Media Council

A Press Council is NOT a Government Commission

European Press Councils' Conference 2004

A Press Council in Georgia ?

One more media Observatory – in the Congo (ex-Zaïre)

A World Record, to be Improved

Standing Up For Press Freedom

Governments Never Learn

Interesting statistics

A New Role for Press Councils?

More complaints, more accountability for the British Press Complaints Commission.

Age One and Already a Record-Holder

2004 said to be only 13 days away

Correction

A New Press Council for Sri Lanka, an independent one

Independent press regulation for Ireland

Are press councils useless?

Statement by the Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe (AIPCE)

Press council in the making in Kosovo

A Media Council in Kyrgyzstan?

RSF Barred from participating in the World Summit on the Information Society

European Press Councils Get Together

A Panorama of World Press Councils

Media Council of Tanzania to organize the 2004 WAPC conference

An ombudsman at the New York Times

Record number of complaints to the PCC

Press Council recognized as a weapon for press freedom