PCC behind the scenes

Preventing intrusion: behind the scenes work

There is considerable ‘behind the scenes' work aimed at preventing intrusion or restoring people's privacy with the minimum of fuss. This works in the interests of people who come to the PCC for help about privacy matters, both in terms of the nature of a story that is about to be published, and the potentially intrusive behaviour of a journalist or photographer.

For instance, the recent scandal involving Damian McBride's emails brought unwelcome speculation about a number of individuals' private lives. We informally advised several people, and one of those concerned made a formal complaint which resulted in the publication of immediate apologies in two Sunday newspapers, the removal of information from the internet, and undertakings about future reporting. This discreet and flexible approach delivers meaningful results - by restoring an individual's privacy - without the need for formal hearings and rulings which would give greater publicity to the matter under complaint.

The PCC is also active in taking pre-emptive action to protect people from intrusive approaches. For instance, the Commission was recently contacted by representatives of a man whose young daughter haddied from swine flu. The media were interested in talking to thegirl's family, but they did not wish to be interviewed or questioned. We circulated the man's request that he and his family be leftalone to national and local editors, who issued instructions to their journalists to cease contacting them. Having been left alone, the family did not need to make a formal complaint to us.

Higher profile people also take advantage of this service. During the Wimbledon tennis tournament, solicitors representing Andy Murray used the PCC to circulate a message requesting the media not to identify his new house or take pictures of him there, while we also stepped in to ensure that Britain's Got Talent runner-up Susan Boyle's privacy was respected while she was being treated in a clinic.

In addition to all this, the PCC gives daily advice to editors and journalists who telephone us for help about interpreting the Code of Practice. This helps avoid any breaches of the Code in the first place - something that is in the interests both of the public and the editor of the publication concerned.