Central to the work of the PCC is the way in which it handles complaints from members of the public and seeks to resolve them. In order to ensure that it does so effectively and speedily, the Commission operates under the terms of a Complainants' Charter which sets out standards of service the public can expect.

Resolving disputes

Very few complaints that come to the PCC end up in formal adjudication - and that's because the vast majority of them raising a possible breach of the Code are either resolved by newspaper action which satisfies the complainant or withdrawn after an explanation by the newspaper.

The PCC is highly successful in its role as a conciliator. In 1997, just under 9 in 10 cases in which there was a case for the newspaper to answer were resolved. This is higher than in previous years, and underlines the increasingly effective way in which self regulation and its informal methods of conciliation work in the interests of the public. Achieving this level of resolved disputes would be impossible in a formal legal system.

Quick and free

The PCC aims to resolve complaints as quickly as possible. During 1997 the implementation of the Complainants' Charter ensured that significant progress in the speed of complaints handling. By the end of the year only 52 of the 3,000 complaints received during the year had been outstanding for longer than twelve weeks. In all, some 77% of complaints were settled within that period. Complaint resolution was even quicker - achieved in an average of 44 working days.

Not only is the PCC quick - it is absolutely free to those who use it. Unlike in a legal or statutory system, there is no need for the involvement of lawyers and consequent cost to the complainants. That the service can be provided free is thanks to the significant commitment of the newspaper industry to effective self regulation.

Accessible to all

It is crucial to the work of the PCC that its service should be widely known and accessible to all. In order to ensure this we:

Ensuring the public knows about the PCC

In addition to the services outlined above, a great deal of work is put into ensuring that members of the public know how to contact the PCC. In order to do this, the Commission is listed in all the telephone books in the country. Just as important are the advertisements in newspapers and magazines in space generously donated by publishers themselves, giving basic information and contact details about the PCC. In 1997, the Commission received over £180,000 of donated advertising - for which it is most grateful to publishers.