Making a complaint

The Press Complaints Commission

The Press Complaints Commission is an independent body, which deals with complaints from members of the public about the editorial content of newspapers and magazines.

Clause 12 of the PCC's code of practice covers discrimination, and says that "the press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual's race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability."

When newspapers and magazines are contacted by their readers, rather than organisations like Rethink, it has much more impact. Any complaints you have about newspaper and magazine coverage should first be sent to the editor of the publication, and if they do not reply within a week, or you are not happy with the reply, contact the PCC as soon as possible as there is a time limit on making complaints.

Contact the PCC:
Press Complaints Commission
Halton House
20-23 Holborn
London
EC1N 2JD

Help Line: 0845 600 2757
Switchboard: 020 7831 0022
Facsimile: 020 7831 0025
Textphone: 020 7831 0123
Website: www.pcc.org.uk

E-mail:complaints@pcc.org.uk

Scottish Help Line: 0131 220 6652
Welsh Help Line: 029 2039 5570

24 hour Press Office line: 07659 158536
24 Hour advice line: 07659 152656 (Leave a message and you will be phoned back). This is for use in emergencies only.

They are happy to receive complaints by e-mail. However, please note that you will still need to provide an address and send them a hard copy of the article you are complaining about to the above postal address (unless you provide it as an email attachment or a website link) within 7 days. This is because the PCC is not able to hold a complete collection of recent publications and because versions of an article sometimes differ between editions published on the same day.

OFCOM
Ofcom is the regulator for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services. Ofcom exists to further the interests of citizen-consumers as the communications industries enter the digital age. Ofcom has inherited the duties of the five existing regulators it replaces – the Broadcasting Standards Commission, the Independent Television Commission, Oftel, the Radio Authority and the Radiocommunications Agency.

Contact Ofcom:
Ofcom Contact Centre
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London
SE1 9HA
Phone: 0845 456 3000 or 020 7981 3040
Please note that calls to the Contact Centre may be monitored or recorded
Fax: 0845 456 3333

Email: contact@ofcom.org.uk

Website: www.ofcom.org.uk

• General Concern
  If you have a general concern, please submit details to the Ofcom Contact Centre.
  
• Fairness Complaints
  If you believe you have been treated unfairly in a broadcast contact the Ofcom Contact Centre. 
  
• Privacy Complaints
  If you believe your privacy has been unwarrantably infringed in a broadcast itself or in the making of the programme or item broadcast contact the Ofcom Contact Centre. 
  
• Other Serious Complaints
  If you consider that a programme or advertisement was harmful, offensive, misleading, or raised an issue of impartiality or accuracy (commercial television and radio only) or contained inappropriate commercial activities (commercial television and radio only) and would like a formal response to your complaint please contact the Ofcom Contact Centre. Please note that you will need to let them know specific details of the channel, date and time of broadcast.

If you would like to register a complaint in Welsh, you can telephone 020 7981 3042.