Lord Wakeham, Chairman of the UK Press Complaints Commission (left) chats with former Information Minister Senator Maxine Henry-Wilson (right) at the Hilton Kingston Hotel yesterday. - Norman GrindleySEVERAL MEDIA executives and journalists met at the Hilton Kingston Hotel yesterday to discuss the possibility of a Caribbean Media Complaints Commission which would hear complaints from the public about the media.
At yesterday's seminar it was argued that any attempt to regulate the media through legislation would be an infringement on the fundamental right to freedom of the press.
In his address, Lord Wakeham, Chairman of the UK Press Complaints Commission argued that self-regulation was the best way forward. "A press which does not regulate itself -- but which is regulated by Governments and the Courts -- cannot be a free press," he said.
The UK Press Complaints Commission is totally funded by the British press is a 17-member body of newspaper editors and lay people receives about 3,000 complaints from the public each year. Roughly 75 per cent of the complaints centre on issues to do with accuracy of news reports while 15 per cent of the complaints relate to invasion of privacy.
Lord Wakeham has been the head of the UK organisation for the last six years. It is from this agency that several regional media complaints authorities have been fashioned.
He gave several reasons why legislation, if used to regulate the media, would be "of no use to the ordinary people," since in many cases they may not be able to source funding for legal representation.
"The main problem is that -- in the absence of any massive extension of legal aid -- the civil law would only be of use to rich people who could afford to use it ..." he said.
He then pointed out several benefits to self regulation including the assurance of high standards, accessibility of the press to everyone and making sure that the press is responsible and free.
Focus groups discussing the issue agreed yesterday that self-regulation of the media in the region would be better served at the national level, rather than through a Caribbean Complaints Commission.
The groups also felt that there were no adequate systems in place to deal with complaints to the media in the region.
The seminar also discussed the new Access to Information Act which is expected to go before Parliament next year. Under this Act all persons will have access to government information as long as this information does not fall under an exempted category, former Minister of Information Senator Maxine Henry-Wilson said.
She said the Bill, formerly known as the Freedom of Information Act, has had several amendments including a change in clause six (6) which now allows access to government information by non-Jamaicans.
"The change means everybody has access ... before it was for Jamaicans and Jamaican citizens only," she explained. Information which will be exempt from public access, according to Senator Henry-Wilson, will include matters relating to law enforcement, Cabinet papers and documents subject to legal privilege.
She also pointed out that under this new legislation, public authorities will be responsible for handling requests. If a request is not met within 30 days then the public authority may get an extension but only if they can "give good reasons."
Laura Neuman, senior programme associate at the Carter Centre, Atlanta Georgia who also made a presentation on access to information as a fundamental cornerstone to democracy, highlighted the important ingredients of an effective Access to Information Act. It should, include among other things, she said, an independent appeals process, which will allow for appeals to a body with authority to overrule the decision of the Ministry, clear time lines for the release of information, and narrow exceptions to those documents which are withheld from disclosure.
