PCC to publish online reports on all cases that raise breach of Editors' Code

The Press Complaints Commission will publish reports on all cases that raise a breach of the Editors' Code following the launch of its new website next year, it said today.

In a response to 75 recommendations made in the Independent Governance Review of the industry body published in July, the PCC outlined an agreed framework for development.

Following a suggestion that the regulator should seek to publicise as many of its rulings as possible, it implied the re-designed website planned for 2011 will allow it to do so.

"These will include upheld complaints, resolved complaints, and all cases where the newspaper has offered sufficient remedial action (which the complainant has not accepted as resolving the complaint). This latter category has not previously been published by the Commission," it said in its published response.

"The Commission issued more than 1,700 rulings in 2009, and so - in common with other regulators - does not publish all of them. We will, however, clearly and publicly account, on our website, for every case that comes to the PCC."

Recommendations that attention should be given to ensuring corrections and apologies continue to appear with due prominence has already been addressed, with the Editors' Code Committee having announced a change to the code to state that prominence of corrections must be agreed by the PCC before publication.

"This represents a significant step forward for the system. While the Commission will consider a working group on the subject, it feels that the issue can be kept under appropriate review by its Review Panel (charged with an annual audit of the Commission's work)," the PCC adds in the report.

The PCC also said it is "in discussion" with PressBof about a recommendation that it sets up a joint working group together to consider sanctions against publishers that breach the code. It will also be inviting experts to speak at its meetings to ensure commission members "continue to be at the forefront of relevant thinking".

In a release detailing today's response chairman of the PCC Baroness Buscombe also announced that public commissioner Ian Nichol has been appointed as the deputy chairman of the PCC.

"The publication of the Governance Review was a historic moment for the PCC, as it represented an opportunity for us to examine properly what we do, and how we can do it better," Nichol says in the announcement.

"I am very happy to play my part in taking that opportunity."

The commission agreed the following performance objectives, starting from next year: (quoted directly from the response)

• We will ensure the information we provide (online, in printed literature and on our Helpline) is clear, accurate and accessible
• MEASUREMENT: complainant survey statistics on quality of PCC information

• We will aim to respond to a complaint within three working days, and deal with it as promptly as possible. We will aim to complete complaints, on average, within 20 days, and conclude formal investigations, on average, within 50 days
• MEASUREMENT: annual publication of time taken to consider complaints

• We will aim for complainant satisfaction in the handling of complaints and a high level of service to those who use the PCC
• MEASUREMENT: complainant survey statistics on complainant satisfaction

• We will aim to ensure members of the public - and representatives of the most vulnerable people in society - are aware of the PCC and its services
• MEASUREMENT: annual account of PCC communications work

• We will aim to be open about our work and accountable for it. We will use our website to publish as much relevant information as we can, including our quarterly performance statistics
• MEASUREMENT: annual account of website activity

• We will offer our training seminars to all newsrooms (national, regional and magazines), and provide pre-publication advice to journalists and editors
• MEASUREMENT: annual account of training seminars

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