Welcome to the site of the Press Council of South Africa, the Press Ombudsman and the Press Appeals Panel.
The Council, the Ombudsman and the Appeals Panel are a self-regulatory mechanism set up by the print media to provide impartial, expeditious and cost-effective adjudication to settle disputes between newspapers and magazines, on the one hand, and members of the public, on the other, over the editorial content of publications. The mechanism is based on two pillars: a commitment to freedom of expression, including freedom of the press, and to excellence in journalistic practice and ethics.
The Council has adopted the South African Press Code to guide journalists in their daily practice of gathering and distributing news and opinion and to guide the Ombudsman and the Appeals Panel to reach decisions on complaints from the public. More than 640 publications, mainly members of Print Media South Africa, subscribe to the Code.
The Council is the custodian of this Code and may amend it from time to time, depending on needs.
The industry believes in self-regulation because it is the only way that the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of the press and other media guaranteed in the Constitution of the Republic can be truly exercised. Any other form of regulation would threaten the independence of the press and freedom of expression.
What if I have a complaint?
If you believe a newspaper or magazine has not lived up to the South African Press Code, you may lodge a complaint by letter, fax or e-mail with the Press Ombudsman within 14 days of publication of the relevant story. The Ombudsman's office will assist those who require help to pen their complaints. State the name and date of the publication and the reasons you believe it was out of line. It would speed up the process if you also sent us a copy of the article that gave rise to the complaint. STEP 1. The Ombudsman will informally try and resolve the issue amicably between you and the publication. STEP 2. If there is no resolution after Step 1, the Ombudsman and two members of the Press Appeals Panel – one a press representative and the other a public representative – will listen to both sides at a formal hearing. Decisions will be by majority vote. STEP 3. If either party is not satisfied with the decision, it may take the matter on appeal to the chairperson of the Press Appeals Panel, Judge Ralph Zulman, formerly of the Supreme Court of Appeal. The judge also hears the appeal with a public representative and a press representative in the Appeals Panel. There is no appeal beyond this level. NB:
We will not start the process until you assure us that you will not later take other legal steps against the publication – we don't want people who pretend to use the self-regulation system only to extract the defence of the publication and then try and use the information against it in the courts. If there is a valid reason for laying the complaint later than the 14 days' deadline, we will accept it. Click here to see the Complaints Procedures
|
