training EDITORS AND JOURNALISTS

The PCC regularly hosts seminars for editors and journalists, which are designed to stimulate discussion about the Commission’s approach to complaints. Using a variety of cases dealt with by the Commission, a typical session will involve journalists considering articles under the Code of Practice or working through a number of scenarios, before being challenged to assess whether or not there was a breach of the Code.

Seminars are generally devised for specific industry disciplines, but a more general session can easily be provided if required. So far, training sessions have been aimed at:

• News editors

• Features editors

• Picture editors

• Online editors and journalists

Subterfuge and investigative journalism

Following the PCC’s report into subterfuge and newsgathering, the PCC ran refresher courses on subterfuge and investigative journalism for journalists from all the national newspapers. Two of the seminars, held in London and Glasgow, were addressed by representatives from the Information Commissioner’s Office as well as by PCC staff. In all, seven two and a half hour sessions were held on this subject.

The PCC has also run seminars for individual newspapers and media groups, including IPC media, The Sun, Manchester Evening News, Birmingham Mail and Birmingham Post, Jersey Evening Post, Bristol Evening Post, Western Daily Press, and the Bath Chronicle. We are always happy to provide this sort of seminar to individual publications on request; alternatively, the PCC can provide materials for journalists to work through in their own time.

For more information please contact Catherine Speller or Tonia Milton or by telephone 020 7831 0022.

Journalists at a newspaper seminar.