Statute

1. The Press Council (PC) is a self-regulatory body of the press, aimed at solving complaints on materials published in media.

2. In solving press conflicts, the PC shall regard the interests of the press to have free access to information, on the one hand, and the justified interests of the public in relations with the press, on the other hand. The authority of the PC lies in the readiness of the press to voluntarily adhere to good journalistic practices.

3. Every private individual or legal entity can turn to the PC with a complaint on the materials published about him/her/it in the press (except advertising).

4. As a rule, the PC shall convene once a month to process complaints.

5. PC membership.

5.1. The Estonian Newspaper Association (ENA) shall invite representatives from both the press and outside it to the PC. The ENA shall appoint nine members of the PC for two years (5 representatives from the press and 4 representatives outside the press). The gradual rotation of the first membership of the PC will begin after the first year of activity.

5.2. The work of the PC is led by the chairman who shall conduct meetings and sign decisions.

5.3. The everyday work of the PC is carried out by the executive secretary who shall prepare PC meetings. The executive secretary shall also mediate between the complainant and the publication during the preliminary procedure in order to negotiate a settlement between the parties if possible. The executive secretary of the PC shall be hired by the ENA.

6. The PC members are free in their adjudications while solving a complaint and shall proceed from good journalistic practices, including the code of ethics of the Estonian press. In their decision-making process the PC members are independent of the ENA which convened the PC. The PC members do not represent their organization or employer, but rather themselves.

6.1. The work of the PC is regulated by the Rules of Procedure.

6.2. An adjudication is passed when supported by more than half of the members attending the meeting.

6.3. The quorum of the PC is five members.

7. The PC is financed by the member publications of the ENA and other organizations or media channels that support the self-regulation of the press.

8. The PC shall handle complaints which

(a) have been lodged in writing, accompanied by a copy of the article concerned and explanatory documents, if necessary

(b) concern materials published less than three months ago.

9. The PC shall not handle complaints if

(a) a court procedure is under way in the matter

(b) the complainant cannot be identified

(c) the complaint does not concern the breach of good journalistic practices.

10. The PC adjudications can upheld the complaint (if the PC finds that good journalistic practices have been breached) or dismiss it (if no breach of good journalistic practices is established).

11. The editions have an obligation to print the condemning adjudications of the PC. All PC adjudications shall be posted on the PC home page on the ENA website.

Approved by the ENA Board on August 22, 2002