Adjudication – A ruling by the PCC which it decides to make public, either because the complaint has been upheld or because there is an important matter of principle at stake. Other rulings, on straightforward cases which do not involve public censure of a newspaper or magazine, are not currently made public.
Complaint with merit – One which warrants remedial action by the newspaper or magazine. If remedial action is not forthcoming, the complaint will be upheld, leading to public censure by the PCC.
Investigation – An enquiry by the PCC into a case which, on first examination, appears to raise a breach of the Code of Practice. The first stage is a letter to the editor, requesting a response to the complaint.
Non-subscribing publication – A title that does not subscribe to the system of self-regulation overseen by the PCC. Most complaints about non-subscribing titles actually relate to online-only publications such as Yahoo News, foreign newspapers or foreign-language newspapers.
Resolved Complaint – A complaint that is settled to the satisfaction of the complainant.
Third Party – Somebody who is unconnected to the subject of a complaint where there is an obvious 'first party' who could complain if they wanted to. The Commission will usually decline to deal with a complaint from a third party in such cases.
In cases about issues of general fact, of improper payments by editors, or of the inclusion of excessive detail about suicide, the Commission will take complaints from any reader. If a third party raises a complaint that appears to suggest a serious issue under the Code, the PCC will contact the first party and seek to initiate an investigation.
Selection issue – An issue relating to the editorial selection of material that does not engage the Code and that, therefore, falls outside the Commission's remit (e.g. a decision not to publish a reader's letter or decision to stop publishing a regular feature).
Substantive complaint – A synonym for a 'complaint we could deal with', one where we can either mediate a settlement or make a formal ruling as to the merits of the complaint when judged against the Editors' Code of Practice.