When Express Newspapers carried front-page apologies to Kate and Gerry McCann recently, some of the comment that followed inevitably focused on the fact that the couple chose to pursue their actions through the courts rather than the PCC. This article explains that the two systems suit different types of complaint; and sets out how the PCC can offer practical support to people who find themselves at the centre of a media storm - something which Clarence Mitchell, the McCann family spokesman - recently described as ‘invaluable'.

Many people - both adults and children - are now members of a social networking site such as Facebook or Bebo. With an increasing amount of personal information being uploaded onto these sites, the boundaries between what is considered private and what is considered personal are shifting all the time. Find out about the PCC's new research into this developing area - which is being undertaken by Ipsos MORI - in advance of its publication later this year.

One of the PCC's main roles is to mediate between complainants and publications, and negotiate an appropriate settlement - such as a correction or apology - between the two. 2007 was a record-breaking year for the PCC, with more complaints successfully resolved than at any point since the organisation's inception in 1991. This article draws together some of the main themes that have emerged from the wealth of resolved complaints over the past year, and links to some of the most important cases in each.

While the PCC has been responsible for regulating the editorial content of newspaper and magazine websites since 1997, in early 2007, the remit of the Code of Practice was extended so that audio-visual that was published on these sites was also covered. After a year of receiving complaints in this area, the Commission has put together a report on its experiences of online regulation, which includes sections on user-generated content, AV material, and online archives.