The press ombudsman should be in a position to begin taking complaints from aggrieved members of the public in November, the chairman of the Press Council, Prof Thomas Mitchell, said yesterday.
Prof Mitchell said it was hoped that the press ombudsman would be appointed before the end of this month and would be able to take up the position in the autumn. Some 25 applications were received for the post before applications closed on June 8th.
"I would hope by late October, early November we would have a functioning Press Council and press ombudsman," he said.
Prof Mitchell announced the membership of the new Press Council yesterday. It will act as an independent regulatory body for the print media and will work with the press ombudsman in adjudicating on complaints.
The press ombudsman will deal with the majority of complaints from members of the public but he or she can refer difficult cases to the Press Council.
If a person is unhappy with the ombudsman's decision, he or she can appeal to the Press Council.
The Press Council comprises 13 people, including the chairman, a former provost of Trinity College Dublin. Six members come from media organisations such as The Irish Times Ltd, Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd and the National Union of Journalists. The other six members come from a variety of backgrounds.
Prof Mitchell said the establishment of the Press Council and ombudsman was "a good news story" for the Irish public and the media.
"It creates a new complaints procedure that is independent, accessible to everyone and simple, quick and free," he said. "I believe such a procedure is extremely valuable and indeed essential in today's society as an alternative to the courts for people who feel aggrieved by what they read in the papers."
Where complaints are upheld, the publication will be forced to print an appropriate apology or retraction in accordance with the judgment of the ombudsman or Press Council. There is no provision for financial compensation.
"I think the court of public opinion will be very powerful in this because I think the public do not like rogue publications and neither do advertisers," he said.
"Transgressors . . . will be named and shamed if they fail to comply with the judgment of the Press Council."
Prof Mitchell said the new mechanisms would raise standards in the press while copperfastening the freedom of the press.
He also called for early passage of the Defamation Bill which would complement these new mechanisms. Asked about the proposed Privacy Bill, he said the Press Council would play a key role in protecting the privacy of individuals. "I would like to see how it performs in that respect before there is any rush to legislation."
The National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) welcomed the appointment of the Press Council.Frank Cullen, NNI co-ordinating director, said the establishment of the Press Council was "a victory for ordinary citizens who don't have the riches or influence necessary to pursue a libel action to court".
