English

Establishment and financing

At present the Netherlands Press Council is established and will be maintained by a foundation named Stichting Raad voor de Journalistiek. In the Foundation all important media organisations participate:

• the Netherlands Union of Journalists (Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten)
• the Netherlands Society of Chief-Editors (Nederlands Genootschap van Hoofdredacteuren)
• several co-ordinating organisations of printed press
• (co-ordinating) organisations of public and commercial broadcasting

The board of the Foundation appoints the members, chairmen and secretaries of the Press Council. The Press Council consists of four (vice) chairmen, thirteen member-journalists and thirteen members-not-journalists. The chairmen and members all do theirs work in their spare time and beside their normal jobs. The chairman and his substitutes are members of the judiciary. The member-journalists have various jobs in journalism such as editor, editor-in-chief or freelance journalist. The non-journalist members have different positions in society. The secretary and acting secretary must be a lawyer.

Further the board of the Foundation determines the regulations of the Press Council.

Developments

Over the years the statutes and regulations have been adjusted. Since 1993 there is also the possibility of mediation between complainant and journalist. As from that same year the Press Council can give a statement of opinion about a case of principal interest on its own initiative. Up till now this has happened three times: about the use of stolen information by journalists (RvdJ 1995/32), about the use of hidden camera's and microphone's (RvdJ 1996/44) and about embargo (RvdJ 2003/50).

Since January 2003 a complainant may apply for an accelerated treatment of his complaint. Further the Press Council introduced consistency in its decisions by expressing the tendency in its decisions, referring to its earlier opinions in similar cases.

In February 2005 a term of six months is implemented, in which a complaint must be filed. In order to shorten its procedure the Press Council hired four freelance clerks, all working at the Council of State, to formulate draft decisions. Nowadays the parties receive an opinion approximately within four weeks after a hearing. The board will evaluate the work of the freelance clerks and try to collect more extra funds.

Furthermore the Press Council is looking into the possibilities and ways to play a more active role in the public debate on journalistic practice. In that aspect the Press Council has worked on a guidebook for journalistic behaviour. With its decisions the Press Council intends to formulate standards of good journalistic practice and to direct the development of these standards. The Press Council has written down these standards in a guidebook. The aim of this guidebook is to contribute to the transparency and the surveyability of the judgements of the Press Council on behalf of the professionals and the public. The guidebook was presented at the Annual Meeting of 24 April 2007. Because of the development of standards concerning publications on the Internet, the guidebook was amended for the first time in April 2008. Further the guidebook was amended in September 2010.

Besides the Press Council is working on the improvement of its social profile. Therefore the Press Council contributes to publications and broadcasts. Also rather frequently representatives of the Press Council participate in various meetings. Furthermore, when appropriate, the Press Council issues press statements (e.g. regarding the reporting on family dramas). 

Mission

The complaint must concern journalistic practice of either a professional journalist or someone who, on a regular basis and for remuneration, collaborates on the editorial content of a mass medium.

Besides, the Press Council cannot treat complaints concerning the maintaining of the standard of good taste or general complaints against the press. The complaint always must be in regard of a specific matter, as far as journalistic practice is concerned.

Since the change from a disciplinary council to a council of opinion the Press Council no longer can impose a sentence on the journalist. Neither can the Press Council assure the complainant financial compensation. The Press Council gives its opinion on a complaint and publishes its decision on its website and in the professional magazine for journalists. Also it circulates its decisions on a wide scale by sending it to the national news agency and to several other media.

As a satisfaction to the complainant and as a contribute to the debate on journalistic ethics, it is of great importance that media publish the opinions of the Press Council, especially those on valid or partially valid complaints. The number of media, which actually publish in valid and partially valid cases, is now around two-third, and still growing.