INTERNATIONAL REPOT

The Commission Report in 1998 recorded the PCC's opposition to plans touted by bodies such as the World Association of Press Councils to establish some form of global Code of media ethics.*

Key to the opposition of the Commission to such plans is its strong belief that systems of media regulation should be organised at a local level and responsive to the needs and culture of a particular country.

It was for that reason that the Commission decided, in 1999, to organise a meeting in London of other Press Councils and Commissions from throughout Europe. The purpose of the meeting was both to underline the opposition from within Europe to plans for global regulation and to facilitate an exchange of information among those organisations on matters of mutual interest.

Addressing the meeting, Lord Wakeham said:
"The strength of the media in Europe is that it is so different, from country to country, and so vibrant and competitive. The regulation of it needs to spring from national cultures and the demands of the public at a national level. You simply cannot do that at a European or global level. My own personal belief is that the only role of European or global bodies should be to promote as much truly independent self regulation as possible - in as many countries as possible. But it must be promoted always at a national level in response to local needs and based on nations' differing cultures. "I hope this meeting might be taken forward both as a forum for co-operation and information exchange among European Press Councils and as an informal group which may from time to time need to act in concert to resist plans for regulatory harmonisation from wherever they emanate."
(10th June 1999)

The meeting was addressed by key figures from Europe including Professor Emeritus Claude-Jean Bertrand (Paris), Ronald Koven (World Press Freedom Committee), Professor Per Arne Jigenius (Swedish Press Ombudsman), Lutz Tillmans (German Press Council), Dieter Loraine (International Media Commission in Bosnia) and Frank Cullen (National Newspapers of Ireland). Representatives from other organisations including the International Press Institute, European Publishers Council and Commonwealth Press Union also attended.

Those present at the meeting decided to form a very loose knit alliance simply to promote exchange of information among European Press Councils and Commissions. According to its mission statement, this Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe - or AIPCE - is :

"a loose-knit group whose members believe in the application of self regulation, independent of government, at a local or regional level and based on nations' differing cultures. The Alliance was formed so that colleagues throughout Europe can co-operate with each other through the exchange of views and information on a regular basis, but without the need for formal bureaucracy. Colleagues will aim to meet each year to discuss matters of mutual interest.

Participating countries agree that the writing of Codes of journalistic ethics and their administration is the business of journalists and publishers, who take into account public feelings, and not the business of governments.

They also agree that it is not possible to operate a universal Code of ethics, and are opposed to the imposition of supra national Codes and regulatory organisations, either at the European or global level.

Those participating in the Alliance will help to promote and support as much self regulation as possible, in as many places as possible, so that local solutions can be provided to meet local needs."

Helping those in need of guidance

The Commission receives many requests from press organisations in other countries that are seeking to establish their own Press Commissions or Councils - not just in Europe, but across the world. It tries to respond as positively and as constructively as possible to all such requests for information and training.

In 1999, the PCC was actively involved with the work of the Independent Media Commission in Bosnia, which is seeking to establish effective self regulation in that country.

Outside Europe, the PCC maintains close links with the Commonwealth Press Union and seeks to assist its work in promoting press freedom and independent self regulation in Commonwealth and other countries. In 1999, the PCC assisted such work in Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and a number of other places. Again a good deal of this work was borne by Professor Pinker.

Participating organisations

Belgian Journalists Union

Bosnian Independent Media Commission

Catalan Press Council

Cypriot Journalists' Code of Conduct Committee

Danish Press Council

Estonian Press Council

Finnish Press Council

German Press Council

Hungarian Association of Journalists

Icelandic Journalists Code of Conduct Committee

National Newspapers of Ireland Italian

National Order of Journalists Committee of Ethics of Lithuanian Journalists and Publishers

Luxembourg Press Council

Malta Press Club

Dutch Press Council

Norwegian Press Complaints Commission

Slovene Journalists Society

Swedish Ombudsman

Swiss Press Council

UK Press Complaints Commission

*See PCC Report, 1998 - page 13