Press Council


A Press Council (CP) is an independent body that studies the complaints that come to it regarding the actions of the media and issues a resolution judging that action from a deontological point of view. It is the most complete mechanism of self-regulation, but its existence does not exclude others, but there is a relationship of complementarity and mutual reinforcement between them.

The CP requires the self-regulatory commitment of companies and the media. This commitment implies the economic contribution of funds essential for its operation, as well as the necessary support for its work.

The councils assume some of the functions performed by professional ethics commissions, with the advantage of representing the whole of society and being more independent.

The council is a mechanism of self-regulation that necessarily has the participation of the public. Their advantage over ombudsmen: councils do not belong to any particular medium.

Metaphor of CP: represent the collective moral conscience of social communication.

CPs do not respond to a single model of action. The geographical scope of the councils varies, although it usually coincides with the borders of the nation states. Its headquarters can not be too far from the public. This should feel close to the CP for its work to be successful.

But it is also true that the media, increasingly have a more global dimension. Then there is not much sense then the existence of very localized advice. It seems appropriate instead to seek a certain correspondence between the geographic distribution of the media and that of the council. Composition Functions

The CP's own function is to receive complaints about the behavior of the media, to investigate and consider those that deserve it and, in cases where it is deemed justified, to issue a resolution of moral condemnation of the responsible media. >

One of the guarantees of its success is that it carries out its work in a simple and agile way. The other that its resolutions have the publicity and the public echo due. Financing

They do not depend on public funds or generate their own income. The most common form of financing is through the contribution of funds by the communication companies. The more powerful these are, the greater the funds available to them.

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