• Introduction
• Chairman's perspective
• Public representatives
• Complainants
• Professional representatives
• Ian Monk - Ian Monk Associates
• Janice Troup - Head of ITV Programme Publicity, Drama and Soaps
• Polly Ravenscroft - MD, PR Squared Ltd
• Nick Armstrong - Partner, Charles Russell LLP
• Roderick Dadak - Partner, Head of Defamation, Media, Brands and Technology, Lewis Silkin
• Newspapers and magazines
• The Press Complaints Commission
• Constructive critics
• International perspective
• Historical perspective
• Putting it into perspective

Professional representatives

Nick Armstrong - Partner, Charles Russell LLP

An essential aspect of the PCC's work which is underrated is the assistance it can provide behind the scenes, as part of the negotiation process which underlies the successful resolution of the majority of media-related issues. By defi nition, this 'behind the scenes' work is less known than the more public process of complaints and adjudications.

In my role as a media litigation solicitor advising clients about contentious media issues, having a flexible range of options is key to dealing effectively with cases where the facts and tactical considerations vary widely. Only rarely is immediate recourse to law appropriate. Far more often, the essentialelement is to seek to persuade the press that what they are proposing to publish or have published is not (or not wholly) appropriate, and to negotiate a suitable resolution.

The PCC, in being available to broker or inform such discussions, warn of potential breaches of the Code, and participate in negotiations at an editorial level, can provide a valuable extra element enabling such resolutions to be achieved. In addition, their hotline service for dealing with situations where clients are harassed by a press 'scrum' is a crucialextra resource.

Working with the PCC has often contributed much to obtaining the best outcome for clients faced with press-related difficulties.