|
The Estonian Press Council (Pressinõukogu) is a voluntary body of
media self-regulation to handle complaints from the public about
material in the media. The Council provides the public with a
possibility to find solutions to disagreements with the media
without the need to go to court.
The Estonian Press Council has ten members, including six from the
media sector and four lay members from the non-media sectors. The
Press Council has a rotating chairman. At the end of 2005, Tarmu
Tammerk was elected chairman.
The Press Council discusses complaints about material that has
appeared in the press, in online portals with journalistic content,
and on public service broadcasting stations. No longer than three
months must have passed since the material appeared. The handling of
complaints is free of charge and quick - the Council meets once a
month.
The Press Council replaces a former self-regulatory body (Avaliku
Sõna Nõukogu), from which the Estonian Newspaper Association and
other media organisations withdrew in 2002 over disagreements
concerning its leadership and management style.
The Estonian Press Council (Pressinõukogu) was set up in 2002 by the
Estonian Newspaper Association. In 2003, the main online news
portals agreed to stick to the standards set by the Press Council
regarding journalistic content of these sites. In 2005, the public
service Estonian Radio and Estonian Television joined the system.
|
|
