PCC revises Editors' Code of Practice

Friday, 09 October 2009 14:20

The Press Complaints Commission has adopted three revisions to the Editor’s Code of Practice. The Code forms the basis of self-regulation of the British press and is enforced by the PCC.

The changes will take effect on 19th October 2009. The revisions are highlighted below. The Code as it presently stands can be read here.

The PCC has also announced the members of the governance review panel, chaired by Vivien Hepworth, that is to investigate, ‘the operation of the PCC board, sub-committees and secretariat; how transparency in the system can be enhanced; whether the independent systems of accountability – the Charter Commissioner and Charter Compliance Panel – can be improved; and the PCC’s Articles of Association.'

The review panel members are Stephen Haddrill, Dr. Elizabeth Vallance and Eddie Young.

Stephen Haddrill is Director General of the Association of British Insurers, and will shortly take up a post as Chief Executive of the Financial Reporting Council.

Dr. Elizabeth Vallance, a writer and academic, is Chairman of the Institute of Education, University of London, and a member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. She recently joined the PCC's Appointments Commission.

Eddie Young is the former Group Legal Adviser of Associated Newspapers, and has over forty years' experience of the newspaper industry.

Further details about the review will be announced by the PCC shortly.

Changes to the Editors' Code of Practice:

3 *Privacy

i) Everyone is entitled to respect for his or her private and family life, home, health and correspondence, including digital communications.

ii) Editors will be expected to justify intrusions into any individual's private life without consent. Account will be taken of the complainant's own public disclosures of information.

iii) It is unacceptable to photograph individuals in private places without their consent.

Note - Private places are public or private property where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.

4 *Harassment

i) Journalists must not engage in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit.

ii) They must not persist in questioning, telephoning, pursuing or photographing individuals once asked to desist; nor remain on their property when asked to leave and must not follow them. If requested, they must identify themselves and whom they represent.

iii) Editors must ensure these principles are observed by those working for them and take care not to use non-compliant material from other sources.

THE PUBLIC INTEREST

There may be exceptions to the clauses marked* where they can be demonstrated to be in the public interest

1. The public interest includes, but is not confined to:

i) Detecting or exposing crime or serious impropriety.

ii) Protecting public health and safety.

iii) Preventing the public from being misled by an action or statement of an individual or organisation.

2. There is a public interest in freedom of expression itself.

3. Whenever the public interest is invoked, the PCC will require editors to demonstrate fully that they reasonably believed that publication, or journalistic activity undertaken with a view to publication, would be in the public interest.

4. The PCC will consider the extent to which material is already in the public domain, or will become so.

5. In cases involving children under 16, editors must demonstrate an exceptional public interest to over-ride the normally paramount interest of the child.