Preparation prior to complaint-handling body
| Yes | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 89.47% | 5.26% | 5.26% |
| # | 34 | 2 | 2 |
Additional Information, if "Yes"
- Austria
By the executive office - Azerbaijan
Complaints are considered by the secretariat at the initial stage. - Belgium (Flanders)
By the Secretary-General - Belgium (Wallonia)
By the secretary-general (or by the Council, in unusual cases) - Bosnia and Herzegovina
By the complaints officer - Bulgaria
By the president and the secretary - Canada
Staff determine whether a complaint falls within its mandate - Croatia
By the secretary - Denmark
By the executive office - Estonia
By the secretary
Additional Information, if "No"
- Cyprus
By all members of the Commission
| Yes | Secretariat | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | 92.11% | 2.63% | 2.63% | 2.63% |
| # | 35 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Additional Information, if "Yes"
- Austria
By the executive office - Belgium (Flanders)
By the Secretary-General - Belgium (Wallonia)
By the secretary-general (or by the Council, in unusual cases) - Bosnia and Herzegovina
By the complaints officer - Bulgaria
By the president and the secretary - Canada
Staff may decline to accept a complaint if it is not within its mandate - Croatia
By the secretary - Cyprus
By all members of the Commission - Denmark
By the executive office - Estonia
By the secretary
| Yes | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 65.79% | 26.32% | 7.89% |
| # | 25 | 10 | 3 |
Additional Information, if "Yes"
- Austria
The Chair of the Senate (in case it concerns a procedure in which someone is personally affected) - Belgium (Flanders)
By the Secretary-General - Belgium (Wallonia)
By the secretary-general (or by the Council, in unusual cases) - Canada
Staff may reject a complaint - Cyprus
By all members of the Commission - Denmark
By the Chair - Estonia
By the secretary - Finland
By the assigned complaint officer + the Chair - France
By three members of the Council - Georgia
By the secretary
| Yes | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 31.58% | 57.89% | 10.53% |
| # | 12 | 22 | 4 |
Additional Information, if "Yes"
- Austria
Only in case it concerns a procedure in which someone is personally affected - Finland
On the basis of factual errors - Slovakia
Yes - Spain - Catalonia
By an employee, in consultation with the chair and the secretary-general (the other council members will be notified) - Sweden
After consideration by the Ombudsman, the complainant could bypass the Ombudsman and go to the Media Council itself instead - The Netherlands
council - United Kingdom (IPSO)
Complaints Committee
Additional Information, if "No"
- Norway
Complainants cannot appeal the decision, but are informed about the intention to give a simplified treatment beforehand. They are able to comment this intention before a final decision about this is made.
| Yes | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 65.79% | 26.32% | 7.89% |
| # | 25 | 10 | 3 |
Additional Information, if "Yes"
- Austria
By the executive office - Belgium (Wallonia)
By the secretary-general - Bosnia and Herzegovina
By the complaints officer - Bulgaria
By one designated Council member - Canada
Staff summarize the complaint and make a recommendation to the Council - Cyprus
By the secretary of the Commission and the employee secretary - Denmark
By the executive office - Finland
By the assigned complaint officer - France
By three members of the Council - Georgia
By the secretary
| Yes | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 52.63% | 34.21% | 13.16% |
| # | 20 | 13 | 5 |
Additional Information, if "Yes"
- Belgium (Flanders)
By the Secretary-General - Belgium (Wallonia)
By the secretary-general - Bosnia and Herzegovina
By the complaints officer - Cyprus
By the secretary of the Commission and the employee secretary - Denmark
By the executive office - Estonia
By the secretary - Finland
By the assigned complaint officer - Georgia
By the secretary - Germany
The preparation may include this summary of previous decisions, by the executive office - Kosovo
By the legal advisor
| Yes | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 39.47% | 42.11% | 18.42% |
| # | 15 | 16 | 7 |
Additional Information, if "Yes"
- Austria
By the executive office, upon a request from the Senate - Belgium (Flanders)
By secretary-general, together with the reporting commission (three council members) for that particular case - Belgium (Wallonia)
By the secretary-general (in written procedure) or a commission of 3 council members (in oral procedure) - Bulgaria
By one designated Council member - Canada
Staff make a recommendation to Council based on internal discussion - Cyprus
By the secretary of the Commission and the employee secretary - Denmark
By the executive office - Finland
By the assigned complaint officer + the Chair - France
By three members of the Council - Kosovo
By the legal advisor
| Yes | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 39.47% | 47.37% | 13.16% |
| # | 15 | 18 | 5 |
Additional Information, if "Yes"
- Belgium (Flanders)
By secretary-general, together with the reporting commission (three council members) for that particular case - Belgium (Wallonia)
By the secretary-general (in written procedure) or a commission of 3 council members (in oral procedure) - Bulgaria
By one designated Council member - Cyprus
By the secretary of the Commission and the employee secretary - Denmark
By the executive office - Finland
By the assigned complaint officer + the Chair - Iceland
different members of the committee - Kazakhstan
Experts - Norway
By the staff - Serbia
By the secretary-general and the presiding member of the complaints commission
| Yes | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 34.21% | 50% | 15.79% |
| # | 13 | 19 | 6 |
Additional Information, if "Yes"
- Austria
If necessary, the executive office will gather extra substantive/content-related information - Bulgaria
If necessary, the designated Council member will try to verify factual information - Canada
Staff may conduct related research into facts and journalistic standards, analysis of the complaint, summary of the issues, and recommendation of a resolution or decision. - Cyprus
By the secretary of the Commission and the employee secretary - Estonia
Upon request from council members, secretary can gather more factual information - Finland
If necessary, the assigned complaint officer will gather extra substantive/content-related information - Georgia
The Secretary makes sure that all material, relevant for making a decision, is available - Germany
The executive office makes sure that all material, relevant for making a decision, is available - Kazakhstan
Members of the organization - North Macedonia
If necessary to make a decision, the executive director will gather extra (background) information
Additional Information, if "No"
- United Kingdom (IPSO)
No
| Council | People who prepare the complaint |
|---|---|
| Albania | Not applicable |
| Armenia | MEO coordinator (not member) designated by MEO members. |
| Austria | Executive office consists of employees, Senate Chairs are chosen by the Board of the Association |
| Azerbaijan | |
| Belgium (Flanders) | Secretary-general is full-time employee; reporting commission are selected from the full Council (1 journalist; 1 from media; 1 from public) |
| Belgium (Wallonia) | Secretary-general is full-time employee; commission of three is drawn from the full Council |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Complaints officer is a full time employee |
| Bulgaria | |
| Canada | Staff members are full-time employees |
| Croatia | Secretary is an employee of the journalists' association |
| Cyprus | |
| Denmark | They have a legal education and are hired of the Presscouncils secretary |
| Estonia | Secretary is part-time employee |
| Finland | Complaint officer is employee, chair of the organization is appointed for 4 year term via open vacany by the annual meeting of the Association |
| France | The members are people that represent the journalists, the publishers, and the public, respectively |
| Georgia | The secretary is a full-time employee of the organization |
| Germany | The executive office consists of paid employees, chairpersons are chosen among comittee members |
| Hungary | |
| Iceland | CEO is employed by the Union |
| Ireland | Case officer and ombudsman are employees, Ombudsman is selected by Press Council, following public competition |
| Kazakhstan | |
| Kosovo | Complaints officer and legal advisor are employees of the organization |
| Lithuania | |
| Luxembourg | President is someone representing the public, traditionally a judge, who is appointed by the General Assembly of the organization |
| North Macedonia | Executive director is appointed every four years by the board of the organization |
| Norway | |
| Poland | |
| Québec (Canada) | Analyst is employee; admissibilty committee is selected by the Board of Directors |
| Serbia | The secretary-general is appointed by the managing board (after public competition). The chair is delegated by the founding organizations on a turn-by-turn basis. |
| Slovakia | |
| Slovenia | Secretary-General is employee; the council member volunteers to prepare the case |
| Spain - Catalonia | They are appointed by the board of the association |
| Sweden | The position of the Ombudsman, when vacated, will be filled by Board of Association, which searches for candidates. The official appointment is done by a group of three: the chair of the National Press Club, the chair of the Bar Association, and the Parliamentary Ombudsman. |
| Switzerland | Executive director is full-time employee, Council members and President of the Council are elected by the board of the Foundation |
| The Netherlands | Vice-chair is appointed by board, secretary is employee |
| Turkey | The secretary-general is appointed by the Supreme Council/High Board |
| United Kingdom (Impress) | Office workers are full-time employees |
| United Kingdom (IPSO) | Not applicable |
| Council | Amount of members |
|---|---|
| Albania | 5 |
| Armenia | 14 |
| Austria | 33 |
| Azerbaijan | 7 |
| Belgium (Flanders) | 36 |
| Belgium (Wallonia) | 40 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 11 |
| Bulgaria | 10 |
| Canada | 15 |
| Croatia | 11 |
| Cyprus | 17 |
| Denmark | 16 |
| Estonia | 10 |
| Finland | 27 |
| France | 60 |
| Georgia | 9 |
| Germany | 28 |
| Hungary | |
| Iceland | 5 |
| Ireland | 13 |
| Kazakhstan | 9 |
| Kosovo | 36 |
| Lithuania | 9 |
| Luxembourg | 4 |
| North Macedonia | 7 |
| Norway | 16 |
| Poland | |
| Québec (Canada) | 22 |
| Serbia | 11 |
| Slovakia | 9 |
| Slovenia | 11 |
| Spain - Catalonia | 14 |
| Sweden | 32 |
| Switzerland | 21 |
| The Netherlands | 24 |
| Turkey | 40 |
| United Kingdom (Impress) | 16 |
| United Kingdom (IPSO) | 13 |
| Council | Press Council composition |
|---|---|
| Albania | All 5 are academics or experts |
| Armenia | 6 members represent industry, 4 members – profession, 4 members - public |
| Austria | All members are journalists, the chairs are lawyers |
| Azerbaijan | 3 members represent the public 4 members represent journalists |
| Belgium (Flanders) | 12 delegates of the publishers; 12 delegates of the journalist association; 12 members of the public/experts |
| Belgium (Wallonia) | 6 journalists from journalist association, 6 editors, 2 editors-in-chief, 6 members from civil society. Each member has a substitute. |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Journalists, academics, and legal practitioners (no fixed number of these categories stipulated) |
| Bulgaria | Journalists, professors, and lawyers (but no quotum) |
| Canada | The Council consists of 8 members of the public ('public directors') and 7 representatives of news media organizations ('professional directors') |
| Croatia | 11 journalists |
| Cyprus | 5 members from civil society, 12 from the media sector |
| Denmark | One chair (supreme court justice), one vice-chair (lawyer), two members from the public, two editors, two journalists. Times two as every member has a deputy. |
| Estonia | 6 people from news media, 4 outsiders |
| Finland | 1 Chair, 5 (+5 substitutes) from the public, 8 (+8 substitutes) from the media |
| France | 10 journalists,10 representatives of the media, 10 representatives of the public |
| Georgia | 9 journalists (3 from the capital, 6 from the rest of the country) |
| Germany | 14 people delegated from publishers; 14 from the unions |
| Hungary | There is no standing council, but instead there is a list of 50 people (journalists, retired journalists, experts, and academics) who may be asked to sit on the complaints commission |
| Iceland | 3 members from the journalist union, 1 from the publishers and 1 member from University of Iceland Ethics department/foundation. |
| Ireland | 7 public interest and 6 industry members |
| Kazakhstan | 3 public interest, 6 journalist/editors/ media/others |
| Kosovo | 36 journalists |
| Lithuania | 2 members from journalist organisation, 7 members from different organizations that represent different branches of media. |
| Luxembourg | 4 members + 1 non-voting president |
| North Macedonia | 2 representatives of media owners; 2 representatives proposed by Association of Journalists; 3 representatives of the public (experts in media, ethics, law) |
| Norway | 2 journalists; 2 editors; 3 lay members |
| Poland | |
| Québec (Canada) | One president (from the public), 7 journalist members, 7 media company members, 7 members from the public |
| Serbia | 3 representatives of the Media Association, 1 representative of Local press, 2 representatives of Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia, 2 Representatives of the Journalist Association of Serbia, 3 representatives of the public |
| Slovakia | 3 founding members of the Association; Every AONE member has the right to nominate a member of the TR SR. |
| Slovenia | 9 journalists, 2 representatives of the public |
| Spain - Catalonia | No designated groups |
| Sweden | 4 judges; 14 representatives of the media; 12 members of the public |
| Switzerland | 15 media professionals, 6 representatives of the public |
| The Netherlands | One (non-voting) Chair, 4 vice-chairs (all magistrates); 10 members with background in journalism; 10 representatives of the public (5 experts & 5 citizens) |
| Turkey | 12 journalists (3 of whom are elected from cities outside Istanbul by the Board of Members); 14 representatives of readers; the President of the Press Council Solidarity and Development Foundation; 1 representative to be determined by the press organs with circulation rate of more than 100 thousand; 1 representative from websites; 3 representatives of journalist associations; Representatives of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir Bar Associations with the Turkish Bar Association; and representatives of institutions providing ethics services. |
| United Kingdom (Impress) | th different backgrounds, but who are not politically active or active journalists/editors (on 6 members from a wide range of journalism, legal, commercial experiences • Supplementary regulatory committee members – 8 supplementary met |
| United Kingdom (IPSO) | Independent members, senior-level experience, representatives newspapers and magazines |
| Council | Members selection |
|---|---|
| Albania | Council members are appointed by the general assembly of the organization |
| Armenia | |
| Austria | Elected by the board of the Press Council |
| Azerbaijan | Members of Board |
| Belgium (Flanders) | 12 members appointed by publishers; 12 members appointed by journalist association; 12 members chosen from the public/experts |
| Belgium (Wallonia) | 6 journalists from journalist association, 6 editors nominated by media members, 2 editors-in-chief, chosen by journalists and media, 6 from civil society by public call and chosen by journalists and media. Formal appointment is by the executive board of the Association. |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Board drafts a list of people who would be good candidates for the Counci, and appoints people from this list |
| Bulgaria | |
| Canada | Directors are nominated by a nominations committee composed of existing directors. Public directors are selected based on their credibility in their respective communities and prior board experience. Professional directors are typically selected by their respective news organizations. |
| Croatia | Members can run for the council and are elected by the General Assembly of the association |
| Cyprus | Members from the media are nominated by their respective organization (3 nominated by the union of journalists, 3 by the media publishers, 1 by the public broadcaster, 2 from commercial tv stations, 1 from commercial radio, and 2 from online media). These members choose the 5 civil society members |
| Denmark | Formally, everyone by Minister of Justice. Chair is recommended by president of Supreme Court. Journalist-members are recommended by Journalist Union. Editor-members recommended by editors association, TV stations can nominate members. Laypeople recommended by Danish association for adult education |
| Estonia | Media outlets can recommend certain people, the newsmedia association board formally appoints them |
| Finland | Eight members proposed by member organizations (3 year term); Five members of the public, selected by Council via public vacancy (3 year term) |
| France | General assembly of the members of the CDJM association |
| Georgia | Elected from the members of the organization |
| Germany | The four ‘trägerorganisationen' each delegate 7 people |
| Hungary | Member media nominate suitable candidates for the list |
| Iceland | 3 members nominated by the union, 1 by the publishers, 1 by an ethical institute (liked to the university) |
| Ireland | Ombudsman is selected by Press Council, following public competition |
| Kazakhstan | Conference of Media of Kazakhstan |
| Kosovo | Each of the 36 members (media outlets) of the organization selects one person |
| Lithuania | The Association of Ethics in the Provision of Information to the Public |
| Luxembourg | Appointed by the Press Council itself |
| North Macedonia | The managing board of the organization |
| Norway | Journalists are recommended by the journalist union; Editors are recommended by the editors' association; Laymembers are recommended by a group of four (secretary-general, 2 people from society selected by the board, and one former lay member) |
| Poland | |
| Québec (Canada) | Journalist members are nominated by the journalist union, media members are nominated by media companies, president and public members are selected by the Board (after publiec announcement of the vacancy) and by recommendation of a selection committe |
| Serbia | The four founding organizations (Media Association, Local press, Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia, Journalist Association of Serbia) appoint their representatives, representatives of the public are elected via public competition |
| Slovakia | 3 members proposed by the syndicate of journalists, 3 proposed by print media association, 3 proposed by internet media association. No rules on what background these people should have, but they cannot be active journalists |
| Slovenia | 5 of the journalists selected by association; the other 4 by the general assembly of the union. One member of the public is nominated by association's general assembly; the other one is nominated by the union's assembly |
| Spain - Catalonia | They are recruited among persons (mostly veterans) from journalism and other areas of civil society |
| Sweden | The Media companies appoints media representatives, the Chairman om Lawyers association and the chief Justitie Ombudsman appoints the public. The Chairmen (judges) are appointed by the Media Companies |
| Switzerland | Council members are elected by the board of the Foundation |
| The Netherlands | Chair: no specific procedure; vice-chair by referral; journalist members proposed by editors' association or journalist associaton; public members: public vacancy; experts: by referral. Interviews with secretary and chair, formal appointment by Board. |
| Turkey | Readers' representatives are chosen by election, every 3 years at the General Council, the others are nominated by their respective organizations |
| United Kingdom (Impress) | Impress Board |
| United Kingdom (IPSO) | PSO Appointment Panel |
| Council | Who decides |
|---|---|
| Albania | All 5 members |
| Armenia | MEO members available for the meeting on the complaint(s) |
| Austria | One Senate: 10 members + 1 chair |
| Azerbaijan | |
| Belgium (Flanders) | All 36 members |
| Belgium (Wallonia) | 20 Council members |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9 members |
| Bulgaria | All 10 members |
| Canada | All 15 members |
| Croatia | All 11 members |
| Cyprus | All 17 members |
| Denmark | 4 members of the council: the chair, 1 editor, 1 journalist, 1 member from the public |
| Estonia | All 10 members |
| Finland | Chair + 13 council members |
| France | 30 council members |
| Georgia | All 9 members |
| Germany | One Council of 12 members (except for data-related matters, 10 member Council) |
| Hungary | 3 people from the list: one picked by the complainant, one by the media outlet, and one by the press council |
| Iceland | All 5 members |
| Ireland | The Press Ombudsman |
| Kazakhstan | majority of the Committee |
| Kosovo | All 36 members |
| Lithuania | full Commission |
| Luxembourg | All 4 members |
| North Macedonia | All 7 members |
| Norway | All members |
| Poland | |
| Québec (Canada) | 6 members (2 journalists, 2 media representatives, 2 members of the public) |
| Serbia | At least 7 members |
| Slovakia | All 9 members |
| Slovenia | All 11 members |
| Spain - Catalonia | All 14 members |
| Sweden | Group of 12: one judge; 6 media representatives; 5 representatives of the public |
| Switzerland | 7 members (5 media professionals, 2 representatives of the public) |
| The Netherlands | 5 members: Chair/deputy, two journalist members and two external members (1 expert + 1 citizen) |
| Turkey | All 40 members |
| United Kingdom (Impress) | Regulatory sub-committees appointed by the Board. |
| United Kingdom (IPSO) | All 12 members of the IPSO Complaints Committee |
| Yes | No | NO | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | 65.79% | 26.32% | 2.63% | 5.26% |
| # | 25 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
Additional Information, if "Yes"
- Albania
€50/meeting - Austria
Theoretically, a sitting fee of €30 per meeting (which no member asks for) + travel expenses for freelance journalists - Belgium (Flanders)
Only external members and freelance journalists, €35 per meeting - Bosnia and Herzegovina
€100/meeting, plus hotel/travel costs - Canada
Professional directors are not paid; public directors receive a fee of about €1350 per year - Cyprus
Members are entitled to a sitting fee, but in practice the members do not ask for them - Denmark
€430-730/session + expenses - Estonia
Chair gets symbolic fee of €156/month - Finland
Council members get €100 + transport costs for each meeting - Georgia
Compensation for transport and hotel fees (for members from outside the capital)
| Yes | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 57.89% | 39.47% | 2.63% |
| # | 22 | 15 | 1 |
Additional Information, if "Yes"
- Albania
There is a possibility to hear complainants and/or media, if necessary - Armenia
Written and orally. - Austria
The media are always invited. In case the complaint concerns someone personally affected by the coverage, the complainant is invited as well. - Belgium (Flanders)
Both parties are heard together by the secretary-general and the three members who prepare the case for the full council - Belgium (Wallonia)
When the case is complicated and the Council needs extra input, a hearing may be organized - Canada
Both the complainant and the journalist/editor-in-chief can be heard, but this is not mandatory - Cyprus
If a case keeps dragging on, the media can be invited for a hearing - Georgia
There is a public discussion of the case, in which both parties can present their viewpoint - Germany
There is a possibility to hear the parties, but this is rarely done in practice - Hungary
However, organizing a hearing is rarely done
Additional Information, if "No"
- Finland
Sometimes experts are heard too. The procedure is written in nature, but there is a possibility to invite editor/complainant/specialist in the decision-making meeting. - United Kingdom (IPSO)
Complainants and publications must state their positions in writing rather than presenting them orally before the committee
| No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|
| % | 97.37% | 2.63% |
| # | 37 | 1 |
| Yes | No | Unanswered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | 23.68% | 73.68% | 2.63% |
| # | 9 | 28 | 1 |
| Council | Who decides in case of appeal |
|---|---|
| Armenia | MEO, however somehow different composition than one making initial decision |
| Azerbaijan | Board |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | A specialized commission for each decision, which consists of three media editors, members of the Council's Assembly, and Executive director of the Council |
| Finland | The Council itself based on the draft prepared by vice-chair of the Council. The Chair and the complaints analyst who prepared the complaint are recused. |
| France | The bureau may decide to re-examine a referral by the CDJM |
| Hungary | The Board of the Council |
| Ireland | press council |
| Kazakhstan | meeting of the committee |
| Lithuania | Vilnius Regional Administrative Court. |
| Québec (Canada) | Six ex-members of the Council |
| United Kingdom (IPSO) | Complaints Reviewer |
Please Note:
Councils who did not respond to this question have been omitted from the displayed results.
| Council | Who selects the people who makes the appeal decision |
|---|---|
| Armenia | No special procedure. |
| Azerbaijan | Board |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | The managing board |
| Hungary | The six board members are chosen among the editors-in-chief who are member of the organization |
| Ireland | Groups (types) of media nominate representatives; journalist union holds internal competition; for the members from the public, a call is publicly advertised, and the selection is done by the Appointments Committee |
| Kazakhstan | Members of the committee |
| Québec (Canada) | The members of this committee are selected by the Board of Directors of the organization |
| Switzerland | IPSO Appointment Panel |
Please Note:
Councils who did not respond to this question have been omitted from the displayed results.