15.1 The Board must establish a Media Complaints Committee which will receive and deal with complaints from persons or institutions affected by possible breach of the Code of Conduct.
15.2 The Complaints Committee will consist of three members, appointed by the Board from among its members as follows:
(a) a Chairperson who is a legal practitioner;
(b) one public representatives;
(c) One journalist or other media representative.
15. 3 The Complaints Committee, with the approval of the chairperson, must appoint, for each city in which a newspaper is published.
15.3.1 a panel of legal practitioners; and
15.3.2 a panel of members of the public of high integrity and good quality in the journals community;
15.3.3 a panel of journalists and other media representatives;
Who are qualified and acceptable for the purpose of considering complaints on behalf of the Complaints Committee.
15.4 A complaint by an aggrieved party must be brought to the attention of the Executive Director in writing, who will refer the complaint to the chairperson of the Complaints Committee.
15.5 The Chairperson must scrutinize the complaint and reject it where:
(a) The conduct does not appear to breach any provision of the Code of Conduct; or
(b) the complaint has failed to take reasonable steps to resolve the matter amicably; or
(c) the complaint is considered to be frivolous or vexatious; or
(d) the complaint has instituted legal action, unless the complaint agrees to pursue such action; or
(e) the complaint refuses to give a written undertaking that he will not institute legal proceedings in respect of the complaint if his complaint is handed in terms of this article.
15.6 Where the chairperson of the complaints committee has not rejected a complaint she/he must forthwith convene a meeting of the Complaints Committee to consider the complaint which consists of three (3) persons selected from members of the Board or a panel appointed in terms of Article 15.3, one of whom is a legal practioner, who will be the chairperson, and forward the complaint to the chairperson.
15.7 The complaint must be considered and adjudicated on as soon as possible and in the case within one month.
15.8 The committee which is to consider a complaint may co-opt a representative of an association or union of journalists to assist it in the performance of its functions, including its deliberations, but such representative will have no voting power.
15.9 The committee may issue a reprimand /or order the publication of a prompt and prominent retraction and an apology where adjudication is made against a member of the media profession or a media institution.
15.10 The decision of the Committee will be final.
15.11 The Executive Director will appoint a person to be the secretary of the committee hearing the complaint.
15.12 The Complaints Committee may issue Regulations for the proper and efficient discharge of its duties, which must be approved by the Board.
Recent Comments