The under fire Press Complaints Commission has responded to criticism that is contained within the previously reported parliamentary report on the conduct of the British press, which was published last night.
Although, as expected, the report by parliament's Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee said the newspaper industry should continue to be self-regulated by a PCC-like body, it was very critical of the Commission in its current form. It called on the body to be more proactive, and not to simply respond to complaints by individuals who felt they had been badly treated by one paper or another.
They were also specifically critical of how the PCC had dealt with some recent big issues, such as the allegations of illegal phone hacking made against the News Of The World, and general newspaper coverage of the Madeleine McCann and Bridgend suicide stories. The Commission had been far too slack in investigating complaints in these areas, the select committee said, and in doing so had damaged their credibility as a regulatory force within the British news media.
Although ignoring the criticism regarding those specific issues, the PCC said that it agreed with the select committee's overall conclusion that the Commission needed to be more proactive in policing the press moving forward.
Though, PCC bosses say, the parliamentarians didn't seem to appreciate the more proactive work the Commission is already doing as a result of its own ongoing internal reviews. However, PCC director Stephen Abell concluded by saying: "The PCC accepts that the report contains criticisms of some of its structures and practices, which will need to be given due consideration".
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