"They're not really there for the readers and the victims of the press," said Davies, who previously told Journalism.co.uk about his criticisms of the PCC and the 'bullying' tactics of its former chair Sir Christopher Meyer.
"Over and over again they end up defending the bad practice of the media," the author of Flat Earth News added at today's hearing of the House of Commons committee currently investigating press standards, privacy and libel.
"If the PCC doesn't lift its game, the whole [system of] self-regulation is going to be discoloured."
Greenslade said that while he believed self regulation was the answer, reform is needed.
"I don't have that much of a problem with the [PCC] code. It's the application of the code and the administration that is the problem," Greenslade said.
The good thing about the PCC is it makes journalists aware there is a code, Greenslade added, something which had not existed before the body's creation. There was a 'wild west period in the 1980s,' he added.
A 'fig leaf' exists in which the PCC does not adjudicate as frequently as it could for fear of coming into 'disrepute' with funders, he said, referring to comments made by Meyer during a recent BBC television debate in which he participated.
Self-regulation has a better chance of success without Meyer in charge, said Davies, adding his view that 'Meyer is a bad man'.
Davies dismissed a previous claim by Meyer that the PCC could not contact the parents of Madeleine McCann during the damaging press coverage, because the body didn't have their phone number.
The commission should have got the number from one of the national newspaper editors or contacted them by post, he said.
"This is the PCC that wants to be able to claim that newspapers respect it," Davies said. "Contact that family, invite them to make a complaint."
Davies also attacked the body's handling of the Clive Goodman/News of the World phone hacking case, before criticising its refusal to help Formula 1 head Max Mosley when he first approached the PCC - on the grounds that Mosley was also pursuing his case through the courts.
"Meyer then appears here [in front of the Select Committee], giggling about his [Mosley's] shaved buttocks," Davies added.
Davies attacked the structure of the regulatory body and the role certain senior newspaper figures play: The very people who are 'breaking the law' are also being allowed to decide the law, Davies said.
He also disputed the PCC's dismissal of complaints that are made by third parties and the fact it is not open to scrutiny under the Freedom of Information Act.
The committee, which has already heard evidence from several groups of witnesses [example links below], will continue its investigations.
- 'UK law prevents truth-telling in journalism, Nick Davies tells parliamentary committee' (Journalism.co.uk)
- 'High costs allow 'rich people' to exploit legal system, say media laywers (Journalism.co.uk)
- 'PCC chairman Sir Christopher Meyer criticises media law firms' (MediaGuardian)
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