Putting it into perspective

Why the PCC is here


The PCC is here to help and serve the public. Newspapers and magazines, like everyone else, make mistakes. That's why the public need protection and a system to offer them speedy and ideally cost-free redress. The PCC independently upholds the agreed and binding self-regulatory Editors' Code of Practice. It uses it to raise standards in the industry.

People won't know they need us until they do


The PCC is here for everyone: from those affected by a death reported in their local paper to a celebrity being pursued by paparazzi. The vast majority of people who seek our help are ordinary members of the public who want to address issues such as accuracy and privacy.

Pre-publication and desist notices


The PCC performs a lot of work before publication. It can assist individuals by representing their interests to editors in advance of an article about them being published, and operates a 24-hour anti-harassment hotline (manned by senior staff). We are able to send a request to be left alone across the whole newspaper and magazine industry, to some news and picture agencies, and even to broadcasters. This brings immediate relief from unwanted attention to those who need it.

Independence and the role of public members


The PCC operates completely independently of the newspaper and magazine industry. It has a majority of 10 public Commission members and a minority of seven editors. Recently nearly 3,000 members of the public applied when three public Commission member vacancies were advertised.