When someone has a complaint, can they take it to the media council without contacting the media first?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 71 | 29 |
| # | 20 | 8 |
| Countries | Austria Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bulgaria Canada - Québec Cyprus Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Hungary Kosovo Luxembourg North Macedonia Norway Slovenia Sweden Switzerland | Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Iceland Ireland Netherlands Slovakia UK Impress |
Additional information, if yes
- Austria
However, when complainants want a comment on social media deleted, they are referred to the media first - Denmark
Except for regional stations of DR, TV 2 of TV 2; or, if it’s about de-indexation, anonymization, or request for removal. In these cases, the complainant should contact the respective media outlet. - Finland
However, not always – if the complaint concerns an error, the complainant is required to get in touch with the media outlet first - Hungary, Slovenia
The complainant does not have to contact the media outlet first, but it is recommended that they do
Additional information, if no
- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Iceland
A complainant is required to contact the editor or journalist first - Ireland, Netherlands, Slovakia, UK Impress
No, a complainant is required to contact the editor or journalist first
Is it possible to submit a complaint by regular mail?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 96 | 4 |
| # | 27 | 1 |
| Countries | Albania Austria Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Canada - Québec Croatia Cyprus Denmark Estonia Finland Georgia Germany Hungary Iceland Ireland Kosovo Luxembourg Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Switzerland UK Impress | France |
Is it possible to submit a complaint by e-mail?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 96 | 4 |
| # | 27 | 1 |
| Countries | Albania Austria Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Canada - Québec Croatia Cyprus Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Iceland Ireland Kosovo Luxembourg Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Switzerland UK Impress | Hungary |
Is it possible to submit a complaint by fax?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 7 | 93 |
| # | 2 | 26 |
| Countries | Austria Luxembourg | Albania Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Canada - Québec Croatia Cyprus Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Hungary Iceland Ireland Kosovo Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Switzerland UK Impress |
Is it possible to submit a complaint by telephone?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 18 | 82 |
| # | 5 | 23 |
| Countries | Bosnia and Herzegovina Cyprus Finland Norway UK Impress | Albania Austria Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bulgaria Canada - Québec Croatia Denmark Estonia France Georgia Germany Hungary Iceland Ireland Kosovo Luxembourg Netherlands North Macedonia Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Switzerland |
Is it possible to submit a complaint via a form on the media council's website?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 64 | 36 |
| # | 18 | 10 |
| Countries | Albania Bulgaria Canada - Québec Croatia Cyprus Finland France Georgia Germany Hungary Ireland Kosovo Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Slovenia Sweden UK Impress | Austria Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Denmark Estonia Iceland Luxembourg Slovakia Switzerland |
Is it possible to submit a complaint via social media?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 4 | 96 |
| # | 1 | 27 |
| Countries | Albania | Austria Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Canada - Québec Croatia Cyprus Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Hungary Iceland Ireland Kosovo Luxembourg Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Switzerland UK Impress |
Can one complain about any type of media content, or does the publication have to be about the complainant in any way?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 43 | 57 |
| # | 12 | 16 |
| Countries | Belgium - Dutch Bulgaria Denmark Estonia Iceland Ireland Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Slovakia Sweden UK Impress | Albania Austria Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Canada - Québec Croatia Cyprus Finland France Georgia Germany Hungary Kosovo North Macedonia Slovenia Switzerland |
Additional information, if no
- Finland
A personal stake is not necessary, unless the matter is about violating privacy, rights of an interviewee, or right to reply (to negative publicity)
Are there any time restrictions for submitting a complaint?
| Variable | 1 month | 2 months | 3 months | 4 months | 6 months | 12 months | No limit | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | 11 | 11 | 18 | 32 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| # | 3 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Countries | Bosnia and Herzegovina Georgia Luxembourg | Kosovo North Macedonia Slovenia | Albania Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bulgaria Iceland | Canada - Québec Denmark Estonia Finland France Ireland Slovakia Sweden Switzerland | UK Impress | Austria Croatia Netherlands Norway | Germany | Hungary | Cyprus |
Additional information
- Bosnia and Herzegovina [Variable]:1 month for daily newspapers, 2 months for weekly publications, no time restriction for online media.
- Georgia [Variable]:1 month for non-members, 3 months for members
- Slovenia [1 month]:30 days
Are anonymous complaints accepted?
| Yes | No | Depends | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 4 | 93 | 3 |
| # | 1 | 26 | 1 |
| Countries | Hungary | Albania Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Canada - Québec Croatia Cyprus Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Iceland Ireland Kosovo Luxembourg Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Switzerland UK Impress | Austria |
Additional information
- Austria [Depends]:Anonymous complaints are not always accepted – the Senate decides on a case-by-case basis
Does the complainant have to indicate which part of the Code of Ethics they think has been breached?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 64 | 36 |
| # | 18 | 10 |
| Countries | Bulgaria Canada - Québec Cyprus Finland Georgia Germany Hungary Iceland Ireland Kosovo Luxembourg Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Slovakia Slovenia Switzerland UK Impress | Albania Austria Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Denmark Estonia France Sweden |
Is submitting a complaint free?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 100 | 0 |
| # | 28 | 0 |
| Countries | Albania Austria Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Canada - Québec Croatia Cyprus Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Hungary Iceland Ireland Kosovo Luxembourg Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Switzerland UK Impress |
Is it possible to complain about any media, regardless of whether they have chosen to join the media council?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 75 | 25 |
| # | 21 | 7 |
| Countries | Albania Austria Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Canada - Québec Croatia Cyprus Estonia France Georgia Germany Hungary Iceland Kosovo Luxembourg Netherlands Slovenia Sweden Switzerland | Denmark Finland Ireland North Macedonia Norway Slovakia UK Impress |
Does the media council try to mediate between media and complainants to work out an alternative solution?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 61 | 39 |
| # | 17 | 11 |
| Countries | Albania Austria Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Canada - Québec Estonia Finland Georgia Hungary Ireland Kosovo North Macedonia Slovakia Slovenia Sweden | Croatia Cyprus Denmark France Germany Iceland Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Switzerland UK Impress |
Additional information, if yes
- Albania
The Council uses their informal contacts with colleague working for media outlets to try and find a solution - Austria
The Senate can start an Ombudsman procedure before deciding on the case - Belgium - Dutch
Ombudsman or one of the parties may suggest a solution to resolve the matter without a decision from the Council - Belgium - French & German
Parties are asked about whether they would like to make use of the possibility for mediation; Press Council will then talk to the other party - Bosnia and Herzegovina
There is an obligatory mediation procedure, in which the council tries to find a solution between the parties, such as a retraction or correction - Bulgaria
Because of a lack of resources and capacity, the Council does not mediate by default, but the possibility is always (as stipulated in the bylaws) suggested to the complainant - Canada - Québec
External professionals try to find a solution that both parties can agree on - Estonia
If the secretary sees a possibility of a compromise between the parties, they propose this to complainant and media - Finland
There is a possibility to mediate, but it is rarely used in practice - Georgia
When the secretary of the organization sees a possible solution, he tries to bring the parties together to discuss this possibility - Hungary
The Council tries to organize a meeting between the journalist/editor-in-chief and the complainant in order to resolve matters - Ireland
The case officer will advise on a possible conciliation opportunity and can facilitate an informal and confidential mediation between the two parties to find a resolution - Kosovo
If the press council sees an opportunity for reconciliation (correction, follow-up interview), it tries to get parties to discuss this possible solution - North Macedonia
The Executive Director reaches out to the two parties and tries to find out if a solution (reply, follow-up interview, apology) could resolve the matter - Slovakia
There is a possibility to mediate by inviting the two parties to meet and discuss a possible solution - Slovenia
There is a (theoretical) possibility for the Press Council to negotiate an apology, retraction, follow-up, or other solution - Sweden
The Media Ombudsman can attempt to resolve matters by proposing a solution to both parties
Additional information, if no
- Denmark
At least not formally – there might be informal mediation to see if a solution can be reached before adjudication
When starting the complaints process, does the complainant have to promise not to take the matter to court (or waive their right to do so)?
| Yes | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 11 | 86 | 3 |
| # | 3 | 24 | 1 |
| Countries | Austria Finland UK Impress | Albania Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Canada - Québec Croatia Cyprus Denmark Estonia Georgia Germany Hungary Iceland Ireland Kosovo Luxembourg Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Switzerland | France |
Will the media council handle complaints about content that is being treated by a court simultaneously?
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 36 | 64 |
| # | 10 | 18 |
| Countries | Belgium - Dutch Belgium - French & German Croatia Denmark Georgia Kosovo Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Sweden | Albania Austria Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Canada - Québec Cyprus Estonia Finland France Germany Hungary Iceland Ireland Luxembourg Slovakia Slovenia Switzerland UK Impress |